Glee - the seventh season
by Bellawritesfiction
Summary: This is a crossover between Glee, Supernatural and Torchwood. Without an option for a third Category crossover, I had to choose two of the shows. The list of characters is also very long, but I decided to highlight the ones that are most important to me.
1. William Schuester

Glee - the series is over, but Glee in fanfiction is not. My own take on the seventh season. Mostly AU, but the history of Glee-club and part of the characters from Glee are somewhat kept canon.

Everything else in this fic is just a jumbled mess of characters. None of them particularly canonical in any sense of the word. I'm trying to keep them somewhat in character from their ŕespective shows, but I'm adding a little bit of the actor's skills to the mix.

Among the characters I'm using from Torchwood and Supernatural, almost all of them are teenagers in this fic. (Yeah I know. Not Canon.) There are possibly going to be a few exceptions to that.

The cast:

From Supernatural

Dean, Senior 18, Held back a year because of them changing schools often

Sam, Sophomore 15,

Castiel, Junior 16,

Jo, Sophomore 15

Kevin, Sophomore 15

Charlie, Junior 16

Garth, Junior 16

From Torchwood

Jack, Senior 18

John Hart, Senior 17

Ianto, Junior 16

Gwen, Senior 17

From Glee

Will Schuester

Emma

Sam Evans

Mr Figgins

Santana Lopez

Beiste

Unique

Madison McCarthy

Mason McCarthy

Jane Hayward

Possibly other familiar characters.

Everybody from Glee are at about the age they would have been if this was next school year, and most of them will therefore not be in Glee-club. Their appearance will be more canonical than the rest of the cast.

Well, lets get on with the show.

* * *

**William Schuester - The first few days**

There had been a lot of changes at the high school, and with a few new teachers it had taken it's time to get ready for the new semester. Their new Spanish teacher wouldn't be there for another two weeks and the Glee-club director was busy with a gig in New York until September.

Mr Figgins had agreed to act as principal until the two arrived, while Will decided to cover their classes for the time being.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The room looked barren. Not that it was much different from when he left it before the summer, but without any students it seemed empty. Some of the chairs were stacked nicely while the rest of them were placed randomly around, a couple even on their side, as if someone had left in a hurry.

The funding for the Glee-club was better than ever, but it was still tough to get kids to join.

All the instruments were there, but the grand piano was rolled into a corner and the rest of them were packed into one of the big storage lockers in the back of the room. It didn't help on the impression of the room looking abandoned. Unless he could find students willing and able to play them, he didn't have a band. Finding singers was the priority though.

The piano had been tuned over the summer, and Will pushed it away from the wall and looked for the stool. When he couldn't find it, he just grabbed one of the folding chairs and sat down letting his fingers run over the keys.

A commotion behind him drew his attention to the hall, and he got up to check what was going on.

The football team was marching by. Beiste had obviously finished the tryouts for the season, and the boys were cheering as they walked down the hall. As the group continued towards the cafeteria, Will noticed a boy leaning up against the wall, his face and shirt totally covered with slush.

Nothing had changed. The Jocks were still bullying the newcomers and the nerds. The Glee-club members had been slushied so many times in the past that Will had lost count. Many times he'd had to send them home to change before rehearsal.

He had really thought that things would be different this time around, but it was obviously not so. "Things take time." He thought to himself as he exited the room.

"Hey!" He approached the unfortunate student being caught in the footballers path. "Don't take this personally. It's their game. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." The boy turned his head and stared at Will. "What? And they're just…" He wiped some slush out of his eyes. "They're just going to get away with it?"

Will shook his head as he offered the guy his hanky. "It's clean, I promise." Then he sighed. "The football team at this school is holy, holier than Christ." He practically spat the words out. "They should all have been quarantined until they learned to behave, but we will wait and see."

It was really up to him, but he wanted to see how things worked out first. Everything was going to be different from now on. He was definitely going to take care of the matter.

After wiping the slush from his face, the boy looked up again. "You are the Spanish teacher aren't you?" Will startled a little. He could not remember this guy from class, and it bothered him. "Yes I am. Are you in my class? Sorry, I don't remember you."

"I am, but…" Will could see that the guy blushed a little. "My Spanish is better than yours." He used the handkerchief to try to wipe the mess off of his white shirt. They both knew it was futile, but he was persistent.

Will knew that as a Spanish teacher he sucked, but until the new teacher arrived he had to do it. Most of the students didn't know much spanish at all, so it worked for the most part.

"I'm not going to teach spanish this year, but the new teacher won't be here for another week." He shook his head as he watched the young man. "I think I have a sweater you can borrow. What's your name?"

The boy gave up wiping his shirt and handed the handkerchief back. "I'm Jim, uh, Jim Ca... , uh, sorry. I'm Jim Novak. Don't worry about it, I have a sweater." It sounded like the guy didn't even know his own last name the way he stuttered it out, but Will wasn't discouraged by it. "Jim Novak. Yeah, I remember your name. You're a Junior, right?"

"Yeah, We just moved here from down south." He hesitated a bit before he continued. "We've moved a lot, but I think we're gonna stay here for a while."

Will had no information about this guy, but he remembered the Novak-name from the list of students. It was mostly because it reminded him of an old actress that his grandfather had a crush on.

"You moved here from where did you say?" With nothing else to do at the moment, he could just as well try to make this guy feel a little better about himself after the ambush. "You sound like you're from around here."

Jim bent down and dug a hoodie out of his backpack. "Yeah, well. I'm really from… everywhere. I'm just trying to fit in."

Although he was reluctant to judge anybody, Will had to admit that that the guy looked somewhat pathetic. The shirt seemed to need a little bit of ironing, and the tie… He'd obviously changed his accent in order to fit in, but he should definitely had done something about his appearance as well. Will didn't like where his thoughts were going; people should be able to dress however they wanted, but this one stuck out like a sore thumb.

A little clumsily, Jim managed to pull the sweater over his head, and instantly he looked more like a regular teen.

Will couldn't help noticing the little emblem on the boy's hoodie. It wasn't big, and anybody else would probably not have noticed, but Will recognized it from a previous Glee-club member's shirt. "Oh, are you by any chance in the choir at your church?"

Jim looked down on his sweater. "Well, yeah. I'm in… uh… My father is the pastor. I'm kinda obligated." He exhaled, and for a moment there was a sadness running over his face. "That's not going to make me any more popular is it?"

Will knew the answer to that question, but he wasn't going to elaborate. He also got a little embarrassed about his blasphemic description of the football team. "Don't worry about it. You're the new kid. You just have to find friends. Join a club." He knew exactly what club the guy should try out for. "Why don't you come and try out for the Glee-club."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Will walked towards the choir room. It was late in the afternoon, and most of the students were gone. So far he'd managed to get two students to join, and he knew that Sam would be very disappointed. The school had so many arts programs now that everybody was fighting to pull students to their clubs. He knew he needed to step up the act if Glee-club were to survive.

Young Mister Novak hadn't showed up yet. Will had barely seen him outside of Spanish class, since they first spoke. Jim sat all the way in the back with his head down, obviously trying to be invisible. Will didn't want to embarrass the guy, so he'd left him alone for the time being.

Outside the door to his favorite classroom, Will could hear that somebody was strumming a guitar in there, and he got very excited. If any of the two could play an instrument in addition to having a good voice it would be awesome. He cursed at himself for not even asking, but he was ready to embrace it.

He couldn't believe his own eyes when he finally opened the door. The whole football team was standing in a circle, watching one of their own playing an elaborate solo on the guitar. The guy was making a big number out of it, and everybody was too focused on him to even notice that Will had entered the room.

As the hit the final chords, the guy sank down to his knees and while the tone was still reverberating through the room, he let himself fall backwards as he clenched the guitar to his chest.

The whole crowd exploded into wild cheers and they almost fought about who would help the guy to his feet again. Will lifted his hands and slowly clapped as he pushed through the group. He reached down to take the guitar. "You're good. Are you here to join the Glee-club?" The sinister chuckle that came from the guy as he got up from the floor didn't sound very promising. "You wish. Just wanted to show my teammates that I have a few more talents than being good with the pigskin."

Suddenly, Will remembered that he'd seen this guy before. He'd spent a semester at McKinley a couple of years ago. He hadn't been on the football team back then, and as far as Will could recollect, the guy had been withdrawn and not too keen on making friends.

He had never participated in any other extracurricular activities either, unless you counted all the fights he got himself into. Most all of them had to do with him protecting his little brother, whom Will had never met. The boy was in middle school back then, and had been bullied from time to time.

The only reason Will knew all this was because this guy had been a frequent flyer in the former principal's office, and he'd been forced to visit the guidance counselor so she could try to help him clean up his act.

Emma never revealed who she was talking about when she shared the information with Will back then, but he'd easily guessed. Still, he only knew his face, and had never really bothered with the name. When the semester was over, the family moved and Will had not expected to see him again.

"I'm Dean, Dean Winchester. Nice meeting you Mr, uh, Mr Glee-club." The boy pushed past Will and headed for the door. "It's a fine instrument." He pointed to the guitar still in Will's hand. "It's a pity to let it collect dust, but that was my first and final performance in this room."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Will stared at the four kids sitting in front of him. He had double the amount of students in the club since last meeting, but it was hardly enough to cheer about. They looked bored. He had just finished the tale about how the New Directions got started way back when, and had tried to relay that everything would be easier now.

Jo was absentmindedly picking at her nails with a little penknife. She was dressed like a redneck with her plaid shirt and heavy boots. It suited her in a strange kind of way. Will walked over to her and reached his hand out. "No weapons at this school please. I'll give it back to you on Friday if you promise not to bring it in here anymore."

She scoffed as she folded the blade back. "It's not a weapon, it's a tool, but go ahead. I have plenty." Her attitude was a bit concerning, but Will had heard her sing and wasn't going to let that get to him. "Just don't. I trust you, but it could easily get into the wrong hands."

He stepped back and tucked the knife into his pocket. "Kevin? Did you get any of this?" The boy lifted his head abruptly and threw a peek to each side before he met Will's eyes. The Asian guy fit the description of a normal, well-adjusted teen. Unlike the rest of the group, he dressed like the average high school student. Will was pretty sure that there would never be any drama around this guy, but he was a little concerned about the fact that he had a hard time letting go of his computer. "Yes Sir. I got it all. I'm sorry, I have an assignment for tomorrow, and I…" He closed the laptop. "Sorry, Sir."

John Hart drew his breath heavily before he stretched, as if he was thoroughly uninterested in the story at hand. Will instantly thought of a cat the way the boy moved his body in the chair. "All this is very interesting," he said with a sarcastic tone as he played with one of the buttons on his vintage Napoleon-style jacket. "but when do we start with rehearsals?"

Will looked down for a second. "Well, Mr Evans won't be here for another couple of weeks. He is guest starring with Rachel Berry at a dinner show off Broadway." All of them knew that Will wasn't going to lead the Glee-club, but he'd promised to take care of them until the real director arrived.

"RACHEL BERRY! THE Rachel Berry?" The fourth member of their little group suddenly woke up from his daydreaming. "Really? So when he gets here there'll be only two degrees separating me from her?" Garth was clearly overexcited by the news. "I can hardly wait."

When Will thought of Kevin as the only one there dressing as an average teen, it wasn't quite true. Garth had his moments, but most of the time it looked like he picked his clothes blindfolded. They were either too big or too small, and most days it could look like he'd slept in them. Will was pretty sure that he didn't; he was always clean and well groomed, but he had definitely no sense of style.

Will scratched the side of his nose with his forefinger. "Yes. THE Rachel Berry. She started her career here. She was in this Glee-club a few years back. Don't be surprised if she pays Mr Evans a visit during the semester."

The boy looked like he was about to pass out. "I knew that, but I thought she'd said goodbye to Ohio for good. I love her. I can't believe they cancelled her TV-show before it even started for real. It was awesome."

Everybody in the room stared at Garth dumbfounded. The rest of them probably didn't know what the guy was talking about, and it didn't surprise Will very much. He had never run into anybody who had even seen the Pilot of that show. Rachel's name was well known, but she'd done her best to bury the information about the TV-show.

"Well, most people didn't agree with you, so…" He threw his hands out and addressed all of them. "Let's get back to business. I thought we could arrange a little performance for Mr Evans for when he arrives."

The four students exchanged looks. "Who should lead?" Jo was quick with the question. "Should be some benefits for me being the only girl in this room." She was about to get out of her seat, but Will stopped her by raising his hands. "I thought we could do a medley. Show off your individual strengths. Suggestions?"

Jo slumped back down, disappointed. "I have one. From 'Annie get your gun'." There was no enthusiasm in her voice, but Will still counted it as a suggestion.

"How about something more contemporary?" Kevin looked at her and rolled his eyes. Before he got a chance to come up with anything, he was interrupted. "No. That's great. We can do a duet." John jumped up and grabbed Jo's hand. "I bet that everything you can do I can do better."

Jo ripped her hand loose and it looked like she was about to hit the guy, but then she just resigned. "I guess we can, but I'm sure I'm better."

Will secretly welcomed the little argument. It showed commitment. "Relax guys. It's an option. How about you two." He nodded towards Garth and Kevin. "Do you have anything?"

Garth twisted his hands before he looked up. "Don't rain on my parade?." He said it a little hesitantly, earning puzzled looks from the others. Will was pretty sure that it was his Rachel-crush talking.

Jo stared at him for a second. "Seriously? Are you gay?" Jo huffed as she leaned back in her chair.

An awkward silence followed before Garth cleared his throat. "No, dear. I'm not gay, and I can prove it to you if…" Will slammed his hand on the piano. "Stop. Just stop it. I do not care about your sexual orientation, but I have to tell you that being in a show-choir there's a good chance that there will be homosexuals amongst you. If you can't handle that, you can just leave."

He didn't want Jo to leave, so the hoped he comment was just an unintentional slur. At least, she looked a little embarrassed, but she didn't get a chance to defend herself at that moment.

A subtle squeak as the door opened threw them off, and they all stared at the two newcomers. The boy and the girl standing in the doorway seemed a little intimidated for a second, but then they both smiled shyly. The girl took another step into the room. "Hiya. I'm Gwen, and this is my cousin Ianto. We wanted to…" The dark-haired girl panned her audience. "Is this the Glee-club?"

Will ran over to them and shook their hands. "Sure is. Are you thinking of joining?" Gwen nodded slowly. "We… Yes, we are." She sent a penetrating stare towards the students in the room when they all chuckled a little. Will himself had a hard time keeping a straight face because her accent was very strange and unfamiliar.

"You're from England, right?" He was about to gesture for them to sit, but the looks on their faces made him stop. Ianto huffed audibly as he rolled his eyes, while Gwen seemed to be about to explode. "Nooo. We're Welsh. There's a big difference. Just remember that… Er, Sir." She lowered her gaze and drew her breath. "Sorry, but… this is important to me.

Ianto didn't seem half as bothered by the misunderstanding as his feisty cousin. He stepped forward and grabbed her arm. "Relax, Gwen. We're not here to make enemies." His British was more polished although one could hear that it kind of resembled Gwen's.

"I apologize, Sir. Gwen just came over from Britain to live with us for a year as an exchange student. She's very protective of the Welsh culture, and…" He got an elbow in the ribs as Gwen's face hardened. "Do not speak for me, Ianto."

The other four students had watched the little drama, and Will could hear that they had a hard time keeping the laughter in. He worried that the girl would walk out if they cracked, so he tried to come up with something to say that would break the tension.

"Ianto Jones, right? I remember you. Why haven't you joined us previously?" The boy had been at McKinley high since his freshman year. "You're a junior now aren't you?"

The boy nodded. "Well, yeah. We immigrated to the US five years ago. "He chuckled a little humorlessly and gave Will a lopsided smile. "I wasn't too crazy about the drama around the show choir, and being slushied every day didn't suit me. I was told that everything would be different from now on."

Will stepped to the side and gestured for the two to come forward. "That's right. I don't know if I can do much about the drama within these four walls, but the bullying of New Directions will seize."

As they walked over to the others, Will noticed that John patted the seat next to him. Gwen hesitated for a second before she gave the guy a quick smile and sat down. Mr Hart didn't return the smile, and Will realized that he had hoped that the boy would take it.

And then there were six.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Will soon realized that Gwen Cooper was never going to make it as a lead singer, and he got utterly disappointed. So far, he'd only had the two girls to pick from as the female-lead, and none of them were really up for the task.

He was alone in the choir room sifting through some sheet music. It was really about time he got out of there to go home, but he felt like indulging himself in a little bit of self pity before he left.

Jo could possibly improve and step up; she was definitely ready for it, but she needed a bit of coaching before he would be able to do it.

Among the guys, there were a little bit more potential. Both John and Ianto had strong voices, but so far they had been very picky about what they wanted to sing. The seemingly clean-cut welchman had a thing for Heavy Metal, and that was never going to fly in Glee-club.

Mr Hart was probably the best bet for now, but Will hoped there would come others. John was good, and he could definitely put up a show, but Will had been spoiled with some real performers during his time as a director. He wanted someone that could blow him away, and so far he hadn't got that.

It wasn't completely true. The guitar performance by the Winchester guy had been totally awesome.

Sam was due back in a little more than a week, and Will had promised him a fully functioning New Directions. It was sad to realize that he couldn't fulfill his promise.

He ran his fingers over the keyboard of the piano. There was only one song in his head at the moment, and magically his fingers started playing that tune.

"I'm a loser

I'm a loser

and I'm not what I appear to be."

He got a little nudge on the shoulder, and looked up. Brad was standing there urging him to get out of the seat. "I'm back. I hated those kids, but you know. I hated not being here more."

Brad picked up where Will had stopped, and together the two of them performed the whole Beatles song.

When it was over, Will had gotten a new wind. Getting their pianist back had given him hope.


	2. Castiel

A couple of weeks has gone by. Castiel is settling in, but hasn't made any friends yet. He wants to join Glee-club, and a comment from his new Spanish teacher seals the deal.

* * *

**Jim Novak, aka Castiel makes a friend.**

The new Spanish teacher was a bitch. The whole class had come to a mutual agreement about her status. She mocked them all from the moment she set her foot in the classroom, and it hadn't gotten any better over time.

Castiel was still sitting in the back trying to keep out of it all, but he was pretty sure that she'd discover him sooner or later.

"If I dropped you all off in Tijuana or something, your Spanish would not be good enough to get you a decent meal." Mrs Lopez' voice roared through the classroom. "Will Schuester is a fraud. He doesn't know anything."

They all knew she was talking about the principal, and they were a little taken aback by her harsh words. She panned her audience and chuckled a little. "I love the man to death, but his Spanish sucks." For a moment she looked a little out of her depth. "Oh. Can I say that? Can I say 'sucks' without getting into trouble?"

The whole class nodded in unison, but nobody dared to say a word.

Castiel didn't quite agree with his classmates. He really liked the young teacher. He knew she was speaking the truth, although she could have been a little more subtle about it. He kind of liked Mr Schuester also, so he didn't want to contradict them, but he agreed with her wholeheartedly.

When she professed her love for the man, Castiel felt a little better. He had exactly the same thoughts about the guy. Not that he loved him, but he really liked their principal.

"Is there anybody in here that can translate the text that I gave you last time?" Mrs Lopez paced in front of her desk as she occasionally threw a glance at her class. "Anyone?"

When nobody responded, Castiel noticed that she got a little worked up, so against all his instincts, he volunteered. "I'll do it, Ma'am. I can do it." He drew his breath heavily and was about to start when Mrs Lopez slammed her hand on the blackboard. "Ma'am? If you call me Ma'am ever again, I will fail you."

Castiel had tried to be polite, but that had obviously not gone around well. "Sorry, Ma… Er, Mrs Lopez. I can call you Mrs Lopez, right?" He wasn't sure about anything at the moment. "Yes you can, and if I'm happy with your progress I'll even let you use my first name." She cocked her head as she rested her body against the desk. "Go ahead, read."

He read the text in Spanish, earning a few stares from some of his classmates. He could easily spot the resentment in their eyes, but Cas didn't really care. He'd always been a loner, and if the guy's in Spanish class didn't accept him, it wasn't much of a loss.

Mrs Lopez nodded slowly. "I guess that was good enough." She walked up to the board and grabbed a piece of chalk. "Gracias a la vida. A Chilean song written by Violeta Parra. Learn the lyrics, and translate them." She hesitated for a second before she turned around. "If any of you can sing, I want to hear it next time we meet."

The rest of the session was she concentrated strictly on grammar, but as they left, she reminded them about their homework. "I want a good translation."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Castiel knew the song by heart, so he didn't even bother spending time translating it. He could do it blindfolded, so for him the homework was easy.

The next time he went to spanish class, he felt excited. The new teacher was somewhat intimidating, but she was good.

She had made a point earlier and proved that she was unforgiving, so when the class assembled, a couple of the students tried to make an impression by singing their own version of the song.

They sucked. They really, really sucked. Castiel got embarrassed on their behalf, and he wondered what was to come.

"Seriously? I can't expect you guys to be singers, but the translation was horrible at best. You could at least have cheated and used the internet. Please give me something better."

Castiel clenched his fists and closed his eyes for a moment before he dared to raise from his seat. "This is a beautiful song. Making a good translation is impossible unless you're a professional." He almost hyperventilated for a moment. "I know this song. It should be sung in Spanish."

Without any more ado, he just started.

"Gracias a la vida

que me ha dado tanto…"

He sang half the song without any interruptions, and then he just slumped down totally embarrassed about the whole thing. He could hear that the rest of his class was mocking him a little, but some of them were actually applauding. He was too self conscious to take it to heart.

A tap on his shoulder made him lift his head slightly. "Hey. That was really good. You should join the Glee-club. " Mrs Lopez was standing next to him. "They need people like you. I'll put in a good word."

Cas looked up at her. "I don't think that is needed. They are struggling to get enough people."

Mrs Lopez looked at him dumbfounded. "Really? SO, why haven't you joined them yet? If you like to sing, and they need people..."

She didn't ponder about it, and a few seconds later she was back at her desk. "Mr Novak didn't really give me what I asked for, but it was a nice performance." She grabbed the book from her desk and panned the room. "Lets get on with the curriculum."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

He really wanted to join the Glee-club, but his family had been so against it that he hadn't dared to try. With Mrs Lopez' nice words ringing in his ears, he got a little bit more confident about it, so he decided to go for it regardless. Nobody needed to know; it wasn't like he was going to be a lead singer and make a career out of it.

He walked through the hall towards the door of the choir-room where he soon discovered that he wasn't the only one trying out today. The somewhat heavy set African-American girl was busy applying lipstick, and didn't seem to notice that Cas came up behind her.

Castiel looked at her from the corner of his eyes as he walked up to the door. Before he got a chance to reach for the doorknob, the girl grabbed his wrist. "Wait! I'm trying to make an entrance, don't ruin this for me."

She gave him a quick smile as he put the little mirror and the lipstick back in her purse. "Sorry. It's just… I was in the New Directions before, and I know Mr Shue very well." She drew her breath. "I hope he'll be as happy to see me as I am to be back here."

Cas had no problems with that, although he was a little taken aback by her use of a pet name for their principal. "You are talking about Principal Schuester?" He was brought up to respect his elders, and throwing out nicknames like that could easily be perceived as a little disrespectful.

The girl widened her eyes and stared at him for a moment. "Are you kidding me?" She displayed a range of some over-dramatic gestures before she covered her mouth and giggled a little. "Principal, huh? I heard the rumor, but I didn't believe it."

She reached her hand out for him. "I'm, uh, I'm Unique, by the way. What's your name 'Blue eyes'?" Cas took her hand and shook it. "Castiel, Cas. You can call me Cas." He rarely used that name outside of the family because it always spurred some uncomfortable questions, but he felt bold at the moment. Unique raised a brow and cocked her head. "Cas-ti-el? Beautiful." She gave him a quick once-over and frowned a little. "You need a makeover dear. That accountant-look doesn't go with your name. You need glitter and lace, baby."

Unique's plan of making an entrance got ruined by the door being flung open as a dark-haired girl in a short leather jacket came running out. She got visibly startled when she almost ran into them. "Sorry. I…" She looked at them both before she hurried down the hall. "Just go in there. Nobody will bite."

Cas and Unique looked at each other for a second before they both turned towards the girl running down the hall. As they saw her turn the corner they both started giggling. "She speaks funny." Unique shrugged a little and smiled at Cas.

"And you better not tell her that. She will bite your head off." Mr Schuester was standing in the doorway with his arms stretched out. "Wade! Sorry. Unique! I hope you're here to join. I'm in desperate need for a leading lady."

The two of them hugged it out before Will turned to Castiel. "And Mr Novak. Jim, Jimmy. What do you prefer?" He gestured for Cas to enter. Unique threw him a sideways look as she went over to the piano and greeted the pianist. "You're the only familiar face in here. How odd. Where's everybody." Then she turned to Will. "His name is not Jimmy. Is it?" She gave Cas a puzzled stare. "I thought… never mind."

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Are you not going to have me audition?" Castiel stared at Mr Shuester as the group shuffled together in front of the piano. After a quick introduction of the members, Will had just urged them to get out of their seats and come over.

"It's okay. Santana..., uh, sorry, Mrs Lopez told me about you, and I trust her judgement. I just need to see how you work together as a group." Mr Schuester handed out lyrics. "We're just gonna do an easy one first."

Will had pushed the boys over on one side, while the girls was standing opposite. Jo stared at Will before she threw her hands out. "Are you kidding me?" She nodded towards Unique. "That's a boy, why is he on this side?"

Cas startled a little, but then he suddenly realized that she was right. Not that he cared one little bit. It was a little strange that the guy dressed and behaved like a girl, but she, or he, or whatever he preferred, seemed like a nice person.

Kevin and Garth had obviously also been taken by surprise, and they both looked like fish out of water. John's subtle nod and the way his lips curled into a crooked smile, told Castiel that he hadn't been fooled at all. Gwen gave Unique a quick once-over before she just shrugged. The Welsh guy didn't react at all. He was leaning on the piano humming through the music in his hand.

Castiel's observation of the rest of the group had only taken a few seconds, and he was about to step up and defend Unique, but Will beat him to it.

"Jo. Enough is enough. I will not tolerate prejudice in this room, whether it is gender, color, sexual orientation or religious beliefs." He was standing right in front of Jo now, and the stare he gave her was not what you could call forgiving. "I need a few more people if this Glee-club is going to survive, but I won't hesitate to kick you out if you can't live by that simple rule."

For a moment it looked like Jo was about to walk away, but then she slumped her head down. "I didn't mean it that way. Sorry, but… explain it to me then." She threw a quick peek at Unique. "If he wants to dress like that it's his choice, but…" She looked up at Will, and Cas could see that she was blushing a little. "I have a feeling that the competition for a female lead is over before it has begun." She waved her hand between herself and Gwen. "I heard what you said when he entered."

Will looked down for a second as he chuckled. "Damn straight. Unique can outsing anybody in this room. Girl or boy. You'll all get your chance to solo, but so far she is the best one in here."

If a pin had been dropped, they would definitely have heard it. It seemed like everybody was holding their breaths waiting for Jo's response. The girl looked like she was about to explode, but then she sighed heavily. "Okay, okay. Let's get on with this then."

Everybody exhaled in unison before they all looked at each other and smiled. Cas didn't know any of them although he'd seen Garth in Spanish class. There had obviously been some commotion about these thing earlier, and he was happy to have avoided being a part of it. If random little dramas were a common occurrence, he wasn't sure if he wanted to stay, but decided to give it a go for now.

"Everybody should know this song from Aladdin. Let's try." Will took a few steps back and gestured for the pianist to start. "Let's just sing it as it is, we can add harmonies later."

With Unique there, the dynamics in the room changed significantly. The excitement she showed just being there rubbed off on the rest of them, and suddenly the group seemed more focused.

Brad was ready, and soon the intro to 'A whole new world' trickled out of the piano.

"I can show you the world…." The boys sounded fine, but Cas was not so familiar with the lyrics, so he had to hum some of them. He had a hard enough time just reading the music. The Welsh guy - that Cas couldn't for his life remember the name of - had the same struggles, and the two of them smiled to each other as they did their best to follow the rest of the group.

On the chorus, John tried to do a harmony, and it went rather well. They could all see that Will nodded in approval.

Unique was leading the girls into their part, and it sounded really good.

When the end chorus came up, John stepped forward and grabbed Unique's hand. The two of them managed to make such a show of it that the rest of them almost became props.

"A thrilling chase, (A wondrous place)…. For you and me…." John and Unique looked into each others eyes and held that last note longer than the rest of them, and when they were done they hugged and giggled a little.

For Castiel, it didn't matter. Four hours ago he didn't even know if he was going to join, and now he was in the middle of it. He wasn't going to compete with those two; he was perfectly content being in the background.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter:**

**Gracias a la vida, Violeta Parra**

**A whole new world. From Disney's Aladdin, M: Alan Menken, L: Tim Rice, **


	3. Dean Winchester

Dean is a popular guy, but he is afraid that his new friends will find out that he's not what he pretends to be. He is curious about Glee, but he's worried that his popularity will drop if he joins.

* * *

**D****ean Winchester - uncomfortably self conscious.**

More than three weeks into the semester, the locker room had gotten those familiar scents of male pheromones; sweat, and mix of different body-sprays and deodorants, almost masking the faint hint of urine smell from the restrooms. For some people it would be a little disgusting, but for the boys on the team it was just as it should be.

Somebody had done quite a thorough cleaning job in there over the summer, but the distinct and somewhat repulsing odor of chlorine was almost gone now.

Dean inhaled sharply as he grabbed his clothes from the locker. He'd never really spent much time in a locker room before; he'd hardly ever even played football on a team, but quite surprisingly he seemed to have that knack for it.

The camaraderie and the, so far, friendly bantering had got to him, and he quite enjoyed it. He even liked the somewhat rancid smell of boys that hung onto the air in there.

When he signed up to join, Dean didn't have a clue about what was expected of him. He'd seen more than a few football matches and he knew the rules of the game, but being on the field was technically new to him.

Mr Beiste had soon discovered that Dean was a fast runner. He could easily outrun most of the boys, and he got kudos for not showing any fear when the big guys chased him. Dean had been in too many fights in his life to be intimidated by the opponents' size alone, so he could see no reason to be afraid.

They've played a couple of games already. Dean and the other newbies got their chance to be on the field for a few minutes during the matches, and it had gone rather well. Dean followed the instructions he got and he'd had some good runs.

That he was able to catch that ball no matter how dodgy the throw was, had been noted as a plus, but Dean didn't know what that meant position-wise. He knew that the quarterback was the star of the show, and he'd set his mind on at least getting considered for that spot. He knew that a certain skill in strategics was crucial, and he was pretty sure he had that. So far, only two of his teammates had had a go at it, but Beiste was not completely satisfied with them.

Dean tried to show as much confidence as possible when they were on the field. If any of the guys knew how unskilled he really was, they would mock him indefinitely. He could easily take the friendly jokes they made when he stumbled in the football terms, but being outed as a fraud would be devastating.

It was almost a little embarrassing to realize how much it meant for Dean to be liked by the guys on the team. He'd been more or less a loner until now, but if everything went according to plan, he'd finally graduate. After many years on the road without making many friends, he was almost desperate to collect some now. He wanted to be able to look back at this school year with fondness and pride.

After discovering the choir-room, he'd almost joined Glee-club as well. Another venue where he could find friends wouldn't hurt. He soon realized that it was too nerdy for a member of the football team, so he skipped that.

When he after workout one day brought the team there to show off his skills, Dean wasn't sure if it was the right move. He just wanted to be liked, but the performance had exceeded all his expectations.

At the moment, he was one of the most popular guys on the team and they all wanted to hang with him. If that would sway Beiste into letting him try out for the quarterback position he didn't know, but it could help.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It didn't help, and that became apparent after morning practice the next day. If the other guys didn't see through his charade, Mr Beiste easily did. "Have you ever played football before?" The coach asked him directly, and Dean felt instantly very uncomfortable and tried to get away by pointing at the clock. "Eh, I have class… um... "

The man shook his head as he blocked the exit. "You're really good, but you do not know how to play for real. I'll ask again. Have you played on a team before?"

With a heavy heart, Dean decided to come clean. "No. I have barely ever played football in my life. My Kindergarten teacher showed us how, and we played a little during recess back then, but other than that… No. I'm clueless. I know the rules and all, but…" He slumped his head down and sighed heavily. "Thank you for waiting until we were alone."

The coach didn't say anything at first, but then he came over and sat down next to him. "You ARE good, but you don't understand this game fully. I considered you as a quarterback, but I can't give you that position. You are too unskilled."

After a few minutes of silence, Beiste patted Dean's shoulder. "You almost had me fooled." He chuckled a little. "You're fast and you catch anything we throw at you. Wide receiver. It's the best I can do. Score me a touchdown, and you will be a hero."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After almost a month into the school year, Dean had yet to meet the principal. It was the first time in his life that he'd managed to stay out of trouble for so long, and he was kind of proud of himself. He was pretty sure that his father would have been proud as well, but he and Sammy hadn't seen the man since he left them in that dingy apartment in the outskirts of town. Mr Winchester was too busy panhandling and hunting for imaginary riches to drop by. A few phone calls, and an occasional check in the mail was all they'd got so far.

Dean knew that Sam had a hard time dealing with the abandonment, but Dean himself didn't care. He was the one who had begged their dad to let them stay here.

Traveling around the country, not staying in the same spot for more than a few months, had resulted in very poor grades for Dean, and he had to be held back a year in school. After almost two years as a junior, attending four different schools, he was finally ready for his senior year.

He didn't want that to happen to Sam, and when they arrived in Lima, Ohio, Dean had begged his father to stay put at least for a year. The man managed for two weeks, but as soon as the boys were settled at McKinley, he took off again.

Calling the place they lived in an apartment was really an exaggeration. It was a single room with a small kitchenette, and the tiniest bathroom ever. The hot water barely lasted for one shower a day, and that was the initial reason for Dean even trying out for the football team. He needed to be able to use the showers at school.

Behind a curtain they had an alcove with bunkbeds, and even if Dean occasionally crashed on the couch, he really didn't have any privacy. The general state of the place was horrible to put it mildly, and the rest of the tenants in the building were mostly hookers and drug addicts. Bringing a date there would be out of the question, even if he could get Sam out of there for a couple of hours.

The only positive thing in all of this was that their dad had let them keep the Impala.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean entered the cafeteria and looked for his brother. The guys on the football team were sitting close to the lunch-line and they all cheered and waved him over. He waved back, but headed to the other end of the room where the less popular kids were sitting.

He really wished that Sammy wouldn't hang with the nerds; it was kind of embarrassing to have to mingle with that crowd whenever he had to have a quick chat with his brother, and he was very aware of the stares he got from his teammates every time.

Sam was in the middle of a conversation with an Asian looking guy, and wasn't aware that Dean was approaching. A young girl sitting opposite joined in and both guys stared at her. Dean couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he could see that his brother shook his head and laughed a little.

Dean stopped and watched them for a little while. The girl cocked her head and smiled adoringly at the boys before she lifted her hand and combed her fingers through her natural, long blond hair. Dean's heart skipped a beat. She was beautiful, and he couldn't understand why a girl like that would sit there. When he looked more closely at her, he soon discovered that she wasn't dressed to impress. She obviously had a fine body under the loose fitting army-style jacket, but it seemed like she did her best to cover it up.

As Dean finally managed to rip his eyes off her, another girl walked up to them with a tray in her hands. Dean recognized her instantly. It was that foreign exchange student from his English class.

Gwen - Dean remembered her name - didn't try to cover up anything. Her skinny jeans and that short leather jacket showed off her curves perfectly. Her odd accent and her feisty demeanor had intrigued Dean early on, and he had at one time tried to strike up a conversation with her after class, but she had clearly not been interested.

They'd been to this school for almost a month, during which time Dean hadn't had any luck with the ladies. Watching his brother sitting there with those girls, made him a little jealous, and he wondered how this could have happened.

He threw a peek over his shoulder and discovered that the football boys were about to get up and leave. They didn't look in his direction anymore as they were busy clearing the table. Dean drew his breath heavily before he took the last few steps over to his brother and his friends.

"We have practice after school, so you can take the car and get some food. Pick me up around seven, okay?" He threw the car keys on the table before he gave Gwen a nod. She nodded back and sent him a quick smile before she turned to the other girl again. "It's really exciting. I can hardly wait. I heard that he's really good looking."

Sam grabbed the keys, but didn't pocket them. He held them up for a moment before he handed them back to Dean. "Keep them. Kevin and I are going to the library after school. You can pick me up there."

As Dean was about to take the keys back, both girls looked up. "Kevin, you can't. Mr Evans is coming today. We have that little performance to do." The blonde threw her hands out and rolled her eyes.

The Asian guy leaned back in his seat and smiled. "No worries. We won't leave until later. I invited Sam to sit in, maybe we can convince him to join." Kevin patted Sam's back. "How bad can he be?" Gwen twirled a lock of her dark hair around her finger as she looked Sam in the eyes. "Can you sing?"

Dean felt totally ignored, and he was not used to that. He watched his brother shake his head vigorously. "I told them. I don't sing, but…" He fell silent for a moment before he turned his head and looked up at Dean. "You should try. You should join the Glee-club."

Four sets of eyes stared at him, making him very uncomfortable. Being ignored had been better. "Uh… sorry, too busy. I'm, er…" Did Gwen just give him a little wink, or was that just something in her eye? Dean wasn't sure, but in an instant Glee-club sounded very interesting. "I, ehm, I'll think about it."

He gave Sam a quick pat on the shoulder. "So, library. Sevenish. Okay?" As soon as his brother nodded to confirm, Dean practically ran out of the cafeteria.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A couple of hours later, Dean was pretending to look for something in his bag, while secretly keeping an eye on the door to the choir room. Sam and Kevin was already in there; Dean had barely managed to avoid being spotted by his brother, and he was still holding his breath after clenching to the wall of the adjoining corridor for a few moments.

A few other students went by; the heavy set girl looked somewhat familiar, while he couldn't remember having seen the blue-eyed boy she was walking arm-in-arm with, before. Dean wasn't even aware that he followed the boy with his eyes, but the moment he realized what he was doing he got a little startled and hurried to turn away.

A crowd of people came towards him from the end of the hall. Gwen was leading the procession, and she turned frequently to talk to the guys behind her. The blonde from the cafeteria was there, and also a well-dressed young man with a distinct British accent.

Dean did his best to look busy searching through his bag, but looked up briefly as they came up to him. Gwen gave him a crooked smile. "Hiya Dean. Are you coming?" She didn't wait for him to answer, but kept moving towards the choir room.

Dean watched them enter. A tall dark girl with a 'fro, looked at him before she turned to the last two in the group. "Cute?" Dean couldn't actually hear her, but he was pretty sure that that's what she said. The boy and the girl behind her threw a peek at him before they both just shrugged.

Those three were all seniors; Dean knew that for sure. He'd seen them before, and he knew that the boy and the girl were twins. He didn't share any classes with the afro-girl, but he'd seen her on the bleachers during football practice, and he believed that she was together with one of his teammates.

He watched as the door closed behind them, and cursed a little for being such a wimp. Dean was not used to being so self conscious, but the threshold of that doorway was a little bit too high at the moment.

He looked at his phone and realized that he only had about twenty minutes before he had to be on the field. Knowing that he was cutting it a little close he snuck up to the door and tried to listen to what was going on in there.

"Don't tell me not to live,

Just sit and putter,

Life's candy and the sun's

A ball of butter…"

Just as he thought. The Glee-club was only into show tunes and musicals. It wasn't even close to what he would have wanted to be a part of. He could easily hear that the girl singing the song was very good, but it didn't matter.

"... to rain on my parade."

Dean was about to walk away when something strange happened. He wasn't too familiar with that song, but he was pretty sure that it wasn't supposed to be a drum solo after those first lines.

After the solo ended with a short drum roll. Dean could hear the sticks hit the cymbals softly to a whole new beat.

"I was eight years old and running with a dime in my hand

Into the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man…"

"Bruce?" Dean whispered it to himself, as he leaned closer to the door. The slightly raspy male voice fit perfectly to the song.

"...I'd sit on his lap in that big old Buick and steer as we drove through town

He'd tousle my hair and say son take a good look around this is your hometown."

Surprised by this change, Dean could help humming along as the choir in there did the chorus.

"This is your hometown

This is your hometown

This is your hometown..."

A new change occurred and Dean was pretty sure he recognized the sound of the voice that trickled through the door only moments later. It was definitely that blonde girl, and what she sang made Dean change his view on Glee-club. With only a brush swiping over the snare drum, she sang the first lines of the new song practically acapella.

"Carry on my wayward son

There'll be peace when you are done…"

As soon as she was done with the first lines of the song, the whole band started playing. They cut the intro a little short, and soon Dean could hear another voice.

"Once I rose above the noise and confusion…"

He loved that song, but he'd never heard it sung like that. The whole choir was humming softly in the background and ever so often a couple of voices joined the lead singer making beautiful harmonies.

On the chorus they all participated, and Dean couldn't help sneaking a peek through the little window in the door. It was fascinating to watch and it took a few moments before he realized that one of the guys in there stared right at him.

Dean ducked down and grabbed his bag before he hurried down the hall. He'd lost track of time, and would probably get scolded by Mr Beiste for being late, but that wasn't the worse. He'd been spotted eavesdropping. That he'd never seen that guy before didn't matter, Dean still feared that he'd be recognized at some point in the future.

Ten minutes later, he'd changed and was on his way to the field. He still had the song in his head and he was singing quietly as he ran over to join his teammates.

"...Lay your weary head to rest

Don't you cry,

Don't you cry no more…"

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**A few lines of 'Don't rain on my parade', from Funny Girl. M: Jule Styne, L: Bob Merrill**

**A little bit of 'My Hometown', Bruce Springsteen**

**'Carry on Wayward son', Kansas**


	4. Sam Evans

After being introduced to the 'New' New Dirctions the eveing before, Sam Evans has his first class at McKinley the next day. He is both nervous and excited, and so are the students.

* * *

**The new director**

When he woke up in the morning, Sam Evans knew that he should have gone straight home from the airport yesterday. Insisting on meeting the Glee-club as soon as he arrived in Lima had been a wrong move. Going out for drinks after had been an even worse choice.

Will had been very humble when they talked on the phone earlier that week, so Sam had got the impression that what the man had managed to scrape together wasn't even close to what he was used to work with.

Sam got pleasantly surprised. Even if the new guys appeared a little nervous and intimidated, there were a few very strong voices in there. Except for Unique and Jane, nobody really stood out, but it would be a nice group to work with.

There hadn't been much time to get to know them all; most of them were new to Glee-club, but he was happy to see that a few had stayed on from last semester. He remembered the twins - Madison and Mason - so he had at least four familiar faces in there.

They had all introduced themselves after the little performance, but Sam couldn't for his life remember the names of the new guys. It was partially because he and Will had decided to go to a bar to talk about how to proceed.

Sam had been curious to learn a little bit about the group, but downing more than a few drinks in the process had not been particularly wise. Not only was he unable to remember much of Will's stories, Sam was thoroughly hung over as well.

It was still early, and he didn't have to be in until noon, so he was pretty sure he would be fine before that. A shower, a meal, and a few cups of coffee would probably cure him somewhat. His luggage was still at school, and he had to dig deep into his closet to find something to wear. Not that it mattered so much. He had an abundance of jeans, t-shirts and button-downs, so even if his favorite clothes were still in the suitcases, he made due.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Still a little under the weather, Sam greeted the students at the door as they shuffled into the choir room. They all seemed excited to come, and it pleased him more than he'd expected.

Helping Will out on a couple of occasions, hadn't quite prepared him for what to do next, so he decided to do some kind of roll-call.

Sam drew his breath before he lifted his head and smiled as he panned the group. He knew Jane and Unique from before and he also knew that the two of them would compete for a female lead. In Sam's head Jane had already won that competition because he knew she could go way higher than Wade.

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember any names yet, but I will do my best to learn them today. I hope you will forgive me if I screw up though." He tried to meet each and everyone's eyes as he spoke. "I would like for you all to present yourself however you want, and then sing a few lines from a song of your choice."

They didn't have all the time in the world right now; in a little more than an hour, most of them had other classes. "Unique, Jane, Madison, Mason," he nodded towards the four of them. "I've heard you before and I know what you can do." Then he picked up the list Will had given him, and went from the top. "Jim. You're first."

A somewhat pathetic looking guy stood up and was about to walk over, when Unique rolled her eyes and scoffed loudly. "Jim? Give me a break. Castiel. His name is Castiel." The guy froze up for a moment before he sighed. "Yeah, well. Yes. You can call me Cas. I mean… Jim is, uh, Cas is my middle name, and I kind of prefer that."

He walked to the front of the class and Sam could see that he was blushing. "Just sing. I think that was enough of an introduction." He stepped to the side and let Jim, Castiel, Cas, or whatever he wanted, take center stage. Cas nodded before he turned to Brad. "I will sing 'Angels' by Robbie Williams."

Brad didn't hesitate for a moment. He started with the intro to the song giving Cas only seconds to adjust.

"I sit and wait

Does an angel contemplate my fate

And do they know…."

Sam didn't know if he had time to hear the guy do the chorus, but he hoped so. Jim's voice was pure and it fit the song perfectly.

"...Thoughts running through my head

And I feel that love is dead

I'm loving angels instead."

The guy drew his breath.

"And through it all she offers me protection

A lot of love and affection

Whether I'm right or wrong

And down the waterfall…."

Sam lifted his hand. "That's enough. You're good. I'm sorry, but we don't have time for more."

Cas looked somewhat relieved as hurried to get back to his seat.

Sam didn't waste any time. "Next up is Garth." He looked up and met the eyes of another strange character. If he'd been out hunting he wouldn't have been surprised to meet this guy in the woods. At school, he looked somewhat misplaced.

If Cas had seemed a little intimidated when he came up, Garth was the epitome of confidence. If there were any doubts before, his song choice kind of gave it away. "Hi. I'm Garth. I'm a junior, and I wanted to sing 'Don't rain on my parade', but I was advised not to do it, so I'm doing 'You'll never walk alone' from 'Carousel'."

This was obviously the guy that had some kind of a crush on Rachel. Sam remembered tidbits of the conversation he had with Will last evening, and was pretty sure that Garth was the one Will had told him about.

Garth's voice cracked a little bit at the end of the chorus, but Sam didn't worry about that. The kids had had no time to warm up, and even if Brad transposed it to fit a male voice, it still went rather high.

Next up was Kevin. He didn't hide the fact that his mother had forced him to join because she wanted him to make friends. "I mean. I can sing, and I can read music, but I'm no lead-material." He looked down for a second. "I hope you'll keep me though. I really like it here."

He sang 'Two out of three ain't bad',' by 'Meatloaf', and it went very well. It wasn't a particularly challenging song, but he sang it with pathos. Sam hadn't expected much after the short speech Kevin gave, so he was pleasantly surprised.

It was going very well. Sam looked at the two last boys, and tried to remember their names. He'd seen them both at the school many times in the past, but they hadn't been in this room before. Unique helped him out. "John." She pointed to the guy that Sam secretly had called 'Napoleon', "And that's Ianto, he's British."

Sam looked at them both again. John, with the jacket that could look like something from 'Sgt. Pepper's lonely hearts club band', and Ianto, who dressed like a boyband member from the sixties, Sam almost expected them both to go for a Beatles song.

Ianto took a step forward. "I can go next if you want?" Sam nodded, and waited to hear a British pop-song from way back when.

British, yes, pop, no.

"I see a red door and I want it painted black

No colors anymore…"

The guy hadn't wasted any time on introductions, and he started singing without giving Brad a warning. It didn't take more than a few seconds for the band to catch on, but Sam was a little bit disappointed.

The song itself didn't really give away what the guy was capable of. It was boring and simple, but Sam decided to let it slide. He really liked the guy's voice, and made a note to challenge him at a later time.

He was about to call up the last boy - John - when he raised his hand. "Sorry. I really need to use the restroom. I'm so, so sorry."

Sam got a little surprised, but waved towards the door. "Hurry then. Go on."

John practically jumped out of his seat and went for the door. "Keep going, I'll be back in a flash." He made a mock salute before he vanished, and Sam saw that he winked at someone, but was unable to determine who it was.

There were no time to ponder. Sam looked at his list again. "Gwen? Are you ready?" A dark haired girl stood up. She was… something. He had to look away for a second, because he really liked what he saw. The perfect shaped body - that her clothes showed off so vividly - the big innocent looking eyes, and a shy smile that went straight to his heart, made Sam feel a little bit uncomfortable.

"I'm Gwen Cooper. I'm from Wales, and I'm an exchange student here at McKinley." She drew her breath. "My aunt and my uncle have lived here for many years, and that's my cousin Ianto." She pointed to the British guy. "I don't know how this will go, but I want to try to sing 'Mercy' by 'Duffy'."

Brad was about to hit the keys, but Gwen kept going. "She's a Welsh singer and her hometown is only a few hours from mine." She stopped and looked at Sam. "Was that enough… probably more than enough. Sorry."

The drummer started hitting the beat to the song, and Gwen had to just jump in. Unique stepped up and helped her with the 'yeah's' in the beginning of the song, but after that she was on her own.

It was good, but not much more than that. Sam decided that he would have to give this girl a challenge later as well. He really didn't want to dismiss her, and he hoped that she had a little bit more going for her.

"Jo, you're next." Sam had a hard time keeping his eyes away from Gwen's ass as she slowly walked back to her seat. "Sophomore, right?" The blonde nodded as she came forward. She was really cute also, but Sam didn't care much for her demeanor. It looked like she was bored out of her mind, as if she didn't want to be there.

"I'll…" She closed her eyes and drew her breath a couple of times. "I'm just a little nervous." Sam got surprised. The girl didn't look nervous at all. "'Can't fight this feeling,' by REO Speedwagon." She waved her hand towards Brad, and the guy hurried to start the intro.

"I can't fight this feeling any longer…."

The girl was probably never going to make it on Broadway, but the passion she put into it as she sang the song, got to Sam. This girl could possibly sing anything he threw at her. She would definitely get a solo at one point in time.

Jo was on her way to her seat, when John came back. "I'm ready. Is it my turn yet?" He came straight up to the piano, and took a bow. "John Hart. Senior. I wanted to join Glee-club earlier, but I thought it would cramp my style."

He cocked his head, and gave Sam an apologetic look. Sam wasn't sure, but it seemed a little fake. "I couldn't risk getting my clothes ruined by slushies." He took a couple of dance-steps before he twirled around. "I will be singing the blues." Brad looked up for a second before he nodded. "Oh, yeah. Singing the blues. Got it."

"Well I never felt more like singin' the blues

'Cause I never thought that I'd ever lose your love dear

Why'd you do me this way?"

The boy walked up to Jo as he sang, and went down on one knee right in front of her.

"Well I never felt more like cryin' all night

'Cause everything's wrong and nothin' ain't right, without you

You got me singin' the blues…"

He moved away from Jo, and squeezed between her and Ianto before he sat down next to Cas. He grabbed the boy's hand and stared into his eyes as he continued.

"The moon and stars no longer shine

The dream is gone I thought was mine

There's nothin' left for me to do but cry over you…"

Castiel got clearly embarrassed by it, but he didn't do anything to pull away. Anyway, it didn't take so long before John was on the move again.

"I never felt more like running away..."

His voice was really good, and there could actually be a leading man hiding behind the show he put on. Sam lifted his hand to stop the band. "That's fine, John. I heard enough."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sam met up with the 'New' New Directions one more time that Friday. He'd pretty much made up his mind to keep them all. Even if some of them needed a little bit of work, he was confident that he could get them to up their game.

They were still one student short if they wanted to compete, but Sam had a plan to fix that. He wasn't even sure if this Glee-club would be good enough for competition, but he needed to set some goals, and he wanted them to have something to strive for.

He felt a little bad for giving them an assignment over the weekend, but they had to get started. Sam didn't know if the new guys knew each other well enough to work together in teams, but they would definitely have to try.

He'd told them to form duos or trios, and have a performance ready on Monday.

When he left the choir room in the afternoon, the eleven students were already trying find partners. He was surprised to see that most all of them wanted to team up with Castiel, although he didn't stand out as a star.

Thinking about it, Sam realized that they wanted Cas because they thought he wouldn't outshine them on stage. He was shy and withdrawn, and everybody probably believed that he'd be fine being in the background.

Sam would have to do something about that at a later time, but he didn't want to interfere with this assignment.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Angels, performed by Robbie Wiliams. L/M: Ray Heffernan, Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers**

**You'll never walk alone from Carousel. Mentioned**

**Two out of three ain't bad, Meatloaf. Mentioned**

**Paint it Black. Rolling Stones. L/M: Jagger and Richards, a smidge**

**Mercy, Duffy. Mentioned**

**Can't fight this feeling. REO Speedwagon. Mentioned**

**Singing the blues. L/M: Melvin Endslay**


	5. John Hart and Ianto Jones

**A friendship - or what**

As soon as they were told what to do, John flipped around and looked for Jim, or Cas or whatever his name was. Garth was already eyeing the guy, and it looked like both Jo and Gwen had the same agenda the way they pushed away their chairs to get to Cas. The four of them exchanged a look before they practically raced to get to him first.

Castiel was clearly taken by surprise by the ambush, but he composed himself quickly. "Sorry guys, I'm taken." He nodded towards Unique. The crossdresser was standing next to the door, and John was pretty sure that he could see a victorious smirk on her face.

He was beaten before the competition started, and it did not sit well with him. When Mr Evans told them what to do, John had really thought that the flirting he put in during his performance would give him an advantage, but somebody obviously had inside information. He knew that Unique had been in this glee-club before, and she'd clearly used it to her advantage.

When Castiel was lost he turned to Jo, but she had already set her eyes on somebody else, and John cursed to himself when Gwen seemed to accept the offer.

Even if he could easily outsing both Kevin and Garth, he felt that those two guys were too plain for him. He wasn't surprised to learn that the twins would sing together, and that left him with only a couple of choices.

He looked at Jane. She didn't have to sing today, and that said a lot. She was obviously good.

The first part of his plan had been to pair up with someone that wouldn't steal his thunder. Secondly, it was very important to hook up with a hottie. He threw another peek at Jane. She was definitely hot enough, but somehow he knew that she would look down on him no matter what.

Ianto was still sitting in his seat, and seemed quite unfazed by the commotion around him. John took a moment, and tried to picture the guy in less boring clothes. He had a good voice, but he was clearly not interested in making an impression. The guy was kind of cute though.

"Hey. You want to do a duet with me?" He sat down next to Ianto and patted his thigh. "I mean… If you're not taken." Ianto looked up abruptly, as if he didn't know what was going on. He drew his breath and panned the room. "Yeah, okay. We can do that." He paused for a second. "We can start right now. We can go to my place. I live within walking distance from school."

-o-o-o-o-o-

The Jones' household was way different from what John was used to. At home he was mostly alone, because his mom was spending more time with her clients than with her own son. John didn't complain though. Her job as an international trader gave her enough income to give John anything he wanted.

Ianto lived in a big house, which they shared with Ianto's older sister and her family. They entered the house though a side door and came into the kitchen. On the far wall there were double doors. They were wide open and John could see through to the living room. They had had a bit of a chat on the way, and Ianto had told him who he'd meet when they came there.

The sister - Rhiannon - was busy peeling potatoes at the sink. Two men were sitting in the living room watching a soccer game. A couple of kids were running around the cooking-island in the kitchen, and nobody seemed to keep an eye on them.

John was still standing in the doorway, and got pushed to the side by Gwen, as she and Jo entered. Gwen threw her jacket over a chair, and waved for Jo to follow her. John wondered how they were going to get anything done with all these people around.

The older man on the couch looked away from the game for a second. "No food until your mom gets home. Do not raid the refrigerator for your friends." He turned back to the TV. "Dinner at seven. Tell Rhiannon how many we will be."

Ianto turned and cocked a brow. "Will you stay for dinner?"

John was ready to abandon the assignment and flee, but braced himself. "I don't know. Let's see how it works out."

Jo seemed to be just as intimidated about the crowd as John was, but it looked like she handled it fairly well. Ianto took care of the introductions. He nodded towards the men on the couch. "That's my dad, Ifan, and there's my brother-in-law, Johnny." Ianto walked up to his sister. "This is Rhiannon, and those rugrats are David and Mica."

He pulled John with him further into the room. "This is John, and that is Jo. We have an assignment for school." Nobody seemed very interested, but Rhiannon turned briefly and smiled at them.

"We'll use the basement if you don't mind." Gwen was already half way through the living room, and was heading towards a staircase going down. Jo threw a quick peek from side to side before she followed, and soon the girls were out of sight.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto's room was of a decent size, but it was packed full of all sorts of knick knacks. Most prominently placed was a keyboard. Next to it there was a guitar stand with two guitars. One electric and one acoustic. John let his fingers run over the strings of one of them. "Do you play? Are you any good?"

He didn't get an answer immediately. Ianto was busy gathering a pile of magazines from the little sofa under the window. "Yes, no. No. Not really. I dabble."

The walls were covered with posters. John recognized some of the bands, even if it wasn't quite his taste, but some of them he'd never even heard of. Ianto was obviously into heavy metal, and that could be a problem if they were going to work together on a performance.

While his host was trying to tidy up a bit, John walked over to the shelf with a stereo system. Loose CD's and CD-covers were floating around on the shelf. John was a little bit surprised about the mess. Ianto seemed so neat and clean cut, but there were obviously sides of the guy that didn't meet the eye at first glance.

He picked up a couple of CD's and got another surprise. A 'best of' album from Eric Clapton, and the soundtrack from 'Oklahoma' was not what he'd expected to find after seeing the room.

"We know that Mr Evans is very into musicals, so maybe we should try to find something that will please him." Ianto was obviously done with the tidying, although his room could definitely need a more thorough hand.

"Well, most of the duets are for a boy and a girl, and that's not gonna work for us, is it?" John was still sifting through the CD's. "That will be the hardest part. To find something we can sing together."

Ianto chuckled a little. "You are joking, right?" He came over and grabbed a CD from the shelf. "There are so many songs to choose from." He stuck the CD in the console. "Let's just hear though a few, and make a decision later."

-o-o-o-o-o-

When Rhiannon announced that dinner was ready, the two boys had listened to a few tracks from 'Rent', and a couple of songs from 'Le Mis'. They had also gone through a number of Disney duets, and a whole CD with Frank Sinatra singing with various other artists.

Tracks from The Beatles, Queen, One Direction, Van Morrison and Macklemore had also been considered. They soon realized that even if a little bit of rapping was kind of cool, none of them could actually do it, so a few songs got dismissed immediately.

After all that, they were still no closer to finding a song when they sat down at the dinner table. Jo had left already, and John wondered if the two girls had got anything done. When he asked, Gwen just waved him off and threw him a quick smile.

"When are you leaving?" Ianto turned briefly to John as he reached for the gravy. "I mean…" He exhaled. "That came out wrong. You can stay as long as you want. I just… Sorry." He looked down on his food, and John could see that he was blushing a little.

There was a lot of chatter around the table, and none of the others seemed to notice. The youngest child was playing with his food, and Gwen was busy trying to do some damage control. Johnny and Ifan were both trying to keep an eye on the TV in the living room. They were occasionally commenting loudly on the game, earning a disgruntled stare from Ianto's mother. She was cutting the meat for the other child, and in between trying to shut up her husband and her son-in-law, she conversed with Rhiannon about a barbeque the next day.

John tried to concentrate on his food. He wasn't used to commotion like this in the kitchen. At home it was only him and his mother, and sometimes he had to have supper alone.

A few minutes went by before Ianto turned to him again. "What I meant was that you're welcome to stay for a while longer. I just wondered when your parents expect you to come home."

John took a moment while he swallowed the food in his mouth. "It's only my mother. I can call her, but I bet she won't be home until late anyway." He shrugged. "We should keep at it. We didn't get anywhere." He'd really enjoyed hanging with Ianto, and even if they hadn't got anything done yet, he felt that there was a friendship in the making.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They weren't aware of the time, but had tried to keep it down knowing that the children were sleeping a few doors down. When they finally agreed on a song, Ianto cranked up the volume and sang along. It took only seconds before there was a knock on the door. Rhiannon stuck her head in and urged them to be quiet. "Isn't it time for bed now? It's way past midnight."

John got very surprised. Time travels quickly in good company, but he hadn't been aware of how late it really was. He didn't live that far away, but walking the streets alone in the middle of the night wasn't very tempting. If he'd known that this would happen, he would have taken the car to school today, but finding parking was always a problem, so he almost always took the schoolbus.

He got up and grabbed his jacket. "I better get going then. You can come to my house tomorrow if you want." He took a step towards the door. "I hope my mom isn't too worried." He'd texted her and told her where he was. She'd replied with a simple 'okay', and he didn't even know if she'd expected him to come home tonight at all.

Ianto was standing next to the stereo system after turning it off. "Why don't you just spend the night. Text her. You can sleep on the sofa. It's a little short, but...if you don't mind?" He cocked his head waiting for an answer. John thought about it for a moment. It would definitely be better than to walk home. "I'll find something for you to sleep in, and I have an unused toothbrush." Ianto sounded excited about it. "I can drive you home tomorrow morning."

Getting comfortable on the little couch wasn't easy. After twisting and turning for a while, John started to regret taking the offer to stay. He wasn't sure if Ianto was asleep yet, but he tried to be quiet as he tiptoed over to the desk and grabbed a magazine. In the dim light from the little lamp on the table next to the couch, he decided to sit up and read. Maybe he'd just fall asleep that way.

"I'm sorry. Is it too uncomfortable?" Ianto whispered from the bed. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you can sleep here. The bed is big enough."

John didn't hesitate. He grabbed his blanket and crossed the floor. "What wrong way? I just need to sleep. That couch is a torture device." He watched as Ianto scooted over before he practically dived into the bed. "I mean. You're cute, but you're not really my type."

Ianto could so easily be 'his type', but John was not going to go there. It wasn't worth jeopardizing a friendship trying to get it on with the guy.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

John woke up when Gwen practically came crashing through the door. He and Ianto had moved closer to each other during the night, and he had the guy's arm across his chest. "Ianto, we need help with… What?" Gwen stared at them as she covered her mouth with her hand. Ianto didn't seem to react at first, but then he obviously became aware that he wasn't alone in bed. He sat up abruptly and addressed his cousin. "This is not… Gwen! Don't you dare."

Gwen had started laughing and was on her way out the door when Ianto jumped out of bed and followed her. "I'm warning you. It's not what it looks like. The sofa was too short. Gwen! GWEN!"

John couldn't help chuckling a little. Gwen was not going to let them hear the end of this. Poor Ianto. John didn't care for his own reputation. Most of his classmates assumed he was gay anyway, so for him it didn't really matter.

"Ianto has a boyfriend, Ianto has a boyfriend." Gwen's voice could be heard from downstairs as she sang it out. It didn't take long before one of the children repeated her words, and again John felt a little sorry for Ianto.

Soon after, Ianto came back. "I'm so sorry. Gwen is… I don't think she will share this at school, but…" He threw his hands out. "I didn't mean to… I forgot you were there." He looked genuinely embarrassed.

John moved to get out of bed as he tried not to show how humorous he found the whole drama. "Don't worry about me. I'd be honored." He gave Ianto a smile. "And I know that you didn't crowd me on purpose, although I didn't mind."

-o-o-o-o-

The rest of the family had already had breakfast, so John and Ianto grabbed some leftovers before they got ready to leave. Whatever Gwen needed help with in the morning didn't get mentioned, but her little impromptu song did.

Johnny teased Ianto from the moment they walked into the kitchen. "Ianto, a poofter, didn't see that coming." He punched Ianto on the shoulder. "All this song and dance at school has obviously changed you." The tone was friendly, and it was easy to see that the guy had a hard time keeping the laughter in.

Ianto had already explained what happened and didn't even try to contradict him anymore. John could easily understand why. The friendly bantering and joking remarks was obviously a part of this household, and the only tħing that could stop Johnny was probably to give him the silent treatment.


	6. Winchester brothers

This is not a summary of the chapter:

I'm a little bit disappointed with the hits on this fic. It's not that I need the feedback, (read: I need the feedback) but I really thought that this would be a hit. Me and my friend wanted to do a fic with all of our favorite characters, adding a lot of music to the mix, and hoped that a little more than a few would find it interesting. We can always change the rating and add some smut if that's what it takes? Drugs? Murder? ….Beastialities... no I think not... There will be sex, but we didn't plan to be very graphic about it. We can easily change our minds. Help!

* * *

**Brothers in arms**

Dean had turned the volume up high and sang along with Robert Plant as he strummed the guitar. He was lying flat on the floor with the instrument on his belly. Their next door neighbor had a client at the moment, and Dean did his best to drown the sounds coming from behind the wall.

Rita was fairly good at faking it, and this time she took it to a whole new level. It was obviously a well paying john in there, so she probably gave him a special performance.

When they first moved in, Dean found it quite arousing to eavesdrop, but it soon became a drag. If they could have afforded something else, he would have moved out in a heartbeat, but the checks from his dad came infrequent and even if he sometimes sent a decent amount, Dean could never know when the next one would arrive.

Over the summer, their father had been lucky, and he had enough money to pay the rent for five months. Dean just hoped that the man would manage to cough up enough before the new year so he and Sam wouldn't have to sleep in the car the next semester. A bad apartment was always better than no apartment.

"...and she's buying a Stairway to heaven."

Dean realized that he had to get up and turn the record if he wanted to hear the rest of the album. It was a little more clumsy with the LP's than it would have been with a CD, but he kind of like the sound of the vinyl.

He put the guitar on the floor and rolled over to his stomach before he crawled over to the turntable. As he was about to flip the LP over, he realized that the house was quiet. It was rarely this quiet, so Dean wondered if something was up.

It lasted only a few minutes before he again could hear the familiar sounds of chatter from downstairs and footsteps in the hall. Distantly, he could also hear music coming from somewhere in the building, and he relaxed.

He always worried. The police could show up at any time to raid the house, It hadn't happened since they moved in, but the other residents had told him all about it. Even if Dean had shared a joint with a couple of them, he made sure that his and Sam's room was clean. He didn't want to risk it all for a high.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sam came home late that Sunday, and he was a little bit flustered as he came in. "You just have to join the Glee-club Dean. It's… I'm sure you'll like it." He threw his bag on the couch and went over to the kitchenette. "I'm sorry I'm late. Is there any food?" He opened the small fridge and grabbed a take-away box from the Chinese place. After sticking his nose in it and inhaling, he nodded and grabbed a fork from the drawer. "I can't sing. You know I can't, but you can." He lifted the fork loaded with noodles to his mouth as he stared at his brother.

Dean had dozed off and was still not quite awake, so it took a little while before he understood what Sam was talking about. "Me? In Glee-club? Yeah right, I wouldn't hear the end of it." He would really like to join, but it was a bit risky if he wanted to stay high on the popularity scale.

"Some of my teammates call it the Gay-club, and I think I might ruin my image if I join." He sat up and yawned as he stretched out a little. Sam stared at him. "What do you mean? Gay-club. They are just...students. Normal students. And why do you care?"

Dean looked at his brother and shook his head. "Haven't you seen it?" He rolled his eyes. "There's one crossdresser, and then you have the blonde guy with the funky jacket. If they're not gay…" Sam was about to say something, but Dean continued. "And then it's that cute blue-eyed boy. He seems a little dodgy as well."

Sam slumped his head down and chuckled. "Does it really matter?" Maybe it didn't, but Dean was on a roll. "And you know those two girls you hang out with at lunch. They seemed awfully cozy with each other as they left school on Friday. Not to mention that guy Mason. He's as camp as a row of tents."

That part about Mason was slightly exaggerated, Sam did not look at the guy as particularly camp. Dean had to draw his breath, and that gave Sam an opportunity to get a word or two in. "Why. Does. It. Matter?" Sam could obviously not help himself, because he kept going. "And you, my dear brother, you aren't too picky either. I have seen how you stare at the cute boys."

Enough was enough. Dean got up from the couch as he clenched his fists. "Fuck you. You know nothing." He wanted to punch his brother, but headed for the bathroom instead. "Go to bed, we have school tomorrow." He slammed the door behind him before he sat down on the toilet seat and covered his face with his hands.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sam was thoroughly pissed off at his brother for being such a wimp. He knew for sure that Dean would fit into the Glee-club, and he was determined to make him join. It was sad that he himself wasn't able to carry a tune that well, but if he could be part of it through Dean it would be awesome.

Kevin was his friend, but that friendship had it's limitations. Kevin was a nerd and he wasn't good enough to be a lead singer. Dean definitely had the potential, and hanging with the kids in the club, Sam knew they needed someone like him.

Being the brother of the hot lead, could possibly help him achieve his goal. So far he was just the nerdy friend of a nerdy member of the choir.

The director didn't mind him sitting in when they had a performance, and Sam had gotten to know a few of the other guys. He was technically not listening as much as he was watching. He kept a keen eye at Jo, and hoped that she at one time would return his smile.

She was so great, but she had a major flaw. She had a crush on somebody else.

At rehearsals she appeared tough and she was also a little bit of a hothead. At lunch, when she sat with Sam and Kevin and sometimes Gwen, she spoke dreamingly about the hot guys at school. She didn't look much at the guys in New Directions until John was considered as the male lead. After that she didn't talk about anybody else.

Sam didn't worry so much about that. He agreed with his brother when Dean believed that the guy was gay, but Sam realized that he needed some leverage if he wanted to catch this girl's attention. Dean was his leverage. He just had to hope that Dean would understand.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The kids in The New Directions were going to have their first performance in front of an audience. It wasn't announced so much, but a few students with time off entered the auditorium. They were scattered around so for the guys on stage it most likely didn't look like much.

Sam picked a front row seat and threw a quick glance behind him before he sat down. He wasn't quite sure, but the guy all the way back in the darkness had a distinct likeness to his brother. He chose not to check at this point, because he was afraid he'd walk away if he knew he was spotted.

The twins were up first. Madison and Mason came out with a couple of dancers dressed up like trees. There was also a cardboard forest in the background.

"You've changed.

You're daring.

You're different in the woods.

More sure.

More sharing…

They did good, although Sam wasn't overly impressed by their choice of song. He found it kind of boring and the performers didn't put much enthusiasm in it. It was probably tough going first, but he'd expected a little bit more from them. They had done this before.

When they were done with the song from 'Into the woods', the applause was limited. Even if the performance wasn't the best, the small and scattered audience didn't do them justice.

Gwen and Jo was up next, and the crowd laughed out loud when they entered the stage. Jo was dressed in a big feathery blue coat, while Gwen had green tights and a ball-shaped thingy covering her torso. Even if everybody could see that it had initially been a pumpkin costume, it was now painted bright green and had a big eye glued to the front, and it wasn't hard to see who she was depicting.

With only the band in the background and no stage decoration, they two of them did an hilarious rendition of 'If I didn't have you' from Monster's Inc and received standing ovations from the handful of students in there.

Sam's friends and Jane had the next spot. He knew what was coming because he'd been with them on their final rehearsal last night. There weren't much space in Kevin's room to dance so much, but the three of them had still managed to put up quite a show for Sam.

A big bed got rolled out on stage. Jane was sitting in the middle of it flanked by Garth and Kevin. Someone backstage was holding a spotlight and aimed it at the bed to try to resemble the morning sun hitting the singers.

"Good morning…" Jane got to her feet, and stood up on the bed.

"Good morning…" Garth followed suit

"We've talked the whole night through…" Kevin stepped out of the bed and ran around to the back of it, as the three of them continued the song.

Kevin pushed the bed to the front of the stage with the two others onboard.

They didn't do the whole song, and they skipped most of the elaborate tap-dancing routine, but Garth and Jane gave it go at the end. Sam knew that Kevin wasn't much of a dancer, and he sat in the middle of the bed as the two others danced around pushing and pulling it.

The applause was surprisingly loud, and Sam had to turn around and look at the audience. Quite a few more students had found their way into the auditorium and even if it still was kind of barren the number of viewers had tripled since the show started.

As soon as the props from 'Good Morning' were removed, the stage went completely dark. A few seconds later a spot went on revealing a lonely girl on a long gown.

"I pray you'll be our eyes

And watch us where we go

And help us to be wise

In times when we don't know…"

More lights came on, and Sam could see the band in the background. They were enforced with a string quartet, and it sounded beautiful. As the girl continued, a boy walked up next to her. Sam had been around the Glee-club enough to remember that the guy's name was Jim.

"La luce che tu dai…"

Sam wasn't very good at languages, but he knew that the boy sang in Italian.

Another few students had trickled into the auditorium, and when the song was over, the two singers received the best applause so far. Mostly because of the size of the audience, but Sam had to admit that they deserved it wholeheartedly.

It couldn't be easy for the last two members to follow their act. As the the two boys entered the stage, some kids in the audience were still cheering and a few of them were shouting for Unique and Castiel to come out again.

The director had to step up and ask them to be quiet. "You will get more than one chance to hear them again, but not today. Will you please welcome John and Ianto." He walked over to the side and jumped off stage as John and Ianto grabbed a microphone each.

As soon as the crowd had quieted down John signaled to the pianist and then he just started.

"Through the fisheye lense of tear stained eyes

I can barely define the shape of this moment in time…"

Sam got quite surprised. He didn't expect Pink Floyd.

As the rest of the band joined in, Ianto stepped forward.

"If you negotiate the minefield in the drive…"

The two boys harmonized perfectly. Even if Sam wasn't a singer himself, he wasn't tonedeaf. Most of the audience had probably never heard the song before, but for Sam it was a familiar tune. He rarely got to listen to Pink Floyd at home because Dean didn't care too much about that band, so this was a treat.

"There's a kid who had a big hallucination…"

Ianto was singing alone now. His voice was really good, and Sam had to reluctantly admit that the guy could definitely outsing Roger Waters.

It was John's turn with the mic. He grabbed Ianto's hand and looked into the his eyes.

"If I show you my dark side

Will you still hold me tonight?"

It wasn't hard to see that Ianto was blushing a little, but he stayed composed. That handholding was obviously not rehearsed.

After the guitar solo, they sang the rest of the song together. The audience that had gotten considerably bigger during their performance cheered and clapped loudly. Sam stood up and he noticed that a few others followed suit.

They really deserved that after the somewhat crappy reception when they first entered the stage.

All the kids that had performed came out, and after they've all received another round of applause, Mr Evans grabbed a microphone and stepped forward. "We have a little treat for you at the end. We have a guest performance. From New York. From Broadway. Please welcome Rachel Berry."

Sam didn't know who it was, but almost everybody else in there seemed to be familiar with that name. As she came out on stage the audience practically exploded. The guys in New Directions obviously didn't know about this, because all of them looked utterly surprised.

"Friends. Thank you for the warm welcome. I had a couple of days off, and couldn't think of anything better to do than to visit my old school and my good friends here at McKinley." She waved at someone backstage. "I found a young and very talented boy on my way over here, and we will do a number for you. Jack Harkness, everybody."

A dark-haired and very handsome guy joined her in front of the New Directions. He looked a little shy as he smiled and nodded at the audience, but when he turned and looked at Miss Berry it was with a good portion of confidence.

Without much more ado, the orchestra played up and the new guy started singing.

No more talk of darkness,

Forget these wide-eyed fears.

I'm here, nothing can harm you -

my words will warm and calm you.

Some of the kids in the audience started whooping and clapping, and it wasn't very surprising. That voice was worth a cheer. It was kind of obvious that Rachel hadn't just picked this guy up on the way. This was rehearsed very particularly. The two of them acted out the song as if they were part of the cast of 'Phantom of the opera'.

Towards the end of the song, a dancer with half his face covered with a mask appeared. He used the other kids on stage as props and danced around them as the final lyrics were sung.

"Love me - that's all I ask of you…"

The male singer leaned in and kissed Miss Berry on the mouth, and she reciprocated. It was a real kiss, not just a peck, and Sam wondered if the two of them were a couple. The boy looked a little young, but so what.

"Anywhere you go let me go too . . .

Love me - that's all I ask of you."

As he was about to get up from his seat to cheer, Sam felt a tap on his shoulder. Dean was standing next to him, smiling. "You really think I could be a part of that? They are very good."

Sam smiled back and nodded. "Sure you can." He didn't say more at that time; he was too busy applauding, but he was happy that his brother seriously seemed to consider joining the Glee-club.

* * *

**Music in this chapter**

**It takes two - from Into the woods - Stephen Sondheim**

**If I didn't have you - from Monsters Inc. - Randy Newman**

**Good morning - from Singing in the rain - M: Nacio Herb Brown, L: Arthur Freed**

**The Prayer, by David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Alberto Testa, Tony Renis**

**The final cut - Pink Floyd - L/M: Roger Waters**

**All I ask of you - from The Phantom of the Opera - M: Andrew Lloyd Webber, L: Charles Hart (Richard Stilgoe)**


	7. Jack, Dean, and Charlie

Note: There might be some changes to the ratings of this fic. I'm a little bored with the lack of drama myself, so I will add some. Later chapters will probably contain drug use and a little violence. There will not be any graphic sex scenes (I think), but there will be some references to it.

* * *

The Glee-club have gotten their twelfth member and can compete in sectionals. Before the day is over, two more students are joining. One of them are greeted with enthusiasm, while the other one gets a cold shoulder.

* * *

**A leading man and the violinist**

When Jack dropped out of school a year ago to pursue his dream of becoming a Broadway actor, he'd thought it would be easy. He knew he was good, but without anything to show for himself but his voice, it was kind of hard to land any roles.

He got a few gigs singing in a club, but didn't even make enough money to pay rent on the cheapest room in the city. He had to crash with friends, while hoping to catch a break.

He really thought he'd made it when he got a chance to stand in for one of the guys in Rachel Berry's show, but it didn't lead to anything either. She took a liking to him though, and tried to help him out.

With a semi-steady job as her personal assistant, he made enough for room and board, but he knew it was only temporary. Occasionally she let him join the choir when one of the guys wanted a day off, but it was hardly very satisfying.

Jack also assisted Sam Evans on occasions over the summer, and when the guy learned that he was a highschool dropout, Mr Evans tried to convince Jack to go back to school to graduate. "You could definitely make a career with your voice and your acting skills, but it's always good to have something to fall back on."

It made sense, but Jack was not ready to go back to his old school with his tail between his legs.

When Rachel presented him with another solution, he started to seriously consider doing it.

"I've already asked my dads, and they are willing to take you in. It may be too late to apply for a scholarship, but I'll see what I can do to help." She smiled as Jack stared at her a little dumbfounded. "Your dads? As in, er, plural?"

Rachel chuckled a little. "Yes, plural. I'm sure you're going to fit just fine into their household. They are used to live with a diva." Jack accepted the friendly insult with a shrug. He knew he had it in him.

It took a little while to arrange it all. Jack's parents had fought tooth and nail to prevent him from going to New York in the first place, so when he decided to go back to school they got very pleased. They tried to convince him come home, but caved in when he explained to them that McKinley had the best arts-programs, and that the Glee director had connections on Broadway.

He knew that they supported his dream, so they accepted his explanation. His dad did however mention that they had been right when they told him to wait until graduation to pursue his passion.

He and Rachel came to Lima late on Friday, about a month after school had started. Paperwork from his old school had been delayed, and a few other things had taken it's time to arrange, but now he was there. He also had to admit that he had procrastinated a bit to make sure Rachel was done withe her show, and could go with him.

Jack's parents had come as well, and after discussing the terms for his stay at the Berry house, they promised to send a check every month to cover the expenses. It wouldn't give him much pocket money, so he knew he'd probably have to get a job.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The idea to perform on his first day at school was entirely Rachel's, but Jack didn't mind at all. Being a month late already, one more day wouldn't count, so after spending half that Monday with the guidance counselor to find out what he'd missed so far, he and Rachel had spent the rest of the school day in the auditorium rehearsing.

It was just awesome standing on that stage. He'd never sung at a venue this big before, but he felt instantly comfortable with it. This was how it should be. Being the leading man with a beautiful and famous lady by his side, was just perfect.

When the show was over and the audience had left, Mr Evans announced that Jack would be joining the Glee-club. The news seemed to please them all, and they came over to greet him. Only one guy looked a little bummed by it. He still gave Jack a smile and quick nod, but he stayed in the background.

The explanation came from a dark haired girl with a funny accent. "Hiya. I'm Gwen. I'm a senior, maybe we have some classes together." She obviously noticed that he looked at the boy hanging by himself while the others were crowding around him and Rachel. Gwen followed his line of view before she turned to him again. "Oh. That's John. He hoped for the male lead, but I think he just lost it. You are good, really good."

Jack could see it in her eyes. The girl was totally smitten by him. He took it as a compliment, but wasn't sure if he should flirt with her or just brush her off gently. After giving it a second thought, Jack chose the latter. He didn't want to get involved with anybody here. He had a goal in his life, and this school year was just a postponement of the inevitable. One time in the future he would be performing on Broadway, and nobody in this town was going to hold him back.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Being adamant about going to New York after his Junior year, Jack had done his best to graduate early. It didn't happen, but he had taken most of the required classes. That his grades sucked was another story, but he'd never planned to go to college anyway.

When the transcripts from his old school finally arrived, it was soon discovered that his grade point average was so bad that his membership in glee-club was hanging by a thread.

Mr Evans was very disappointed, but promised to try to help out.

Jack knew he was smart enough, but the workload he'd put on himself as a junior had been a little too much. What he'd thought would be an easy year with only a few classes and a lot of song and dance, would probably be harder than he'd expected.

He knew all this when he entered the stage last night, but decided to forget about it at that moment and hope for a miracle.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack had pretty much spent the day so far running around in the halls searching for his classrooms. He had been late to every class, because nobody seemed interested in showing him the way.

It wasn't until fourth period English that he finally saw some familiar faces. Gwen was quick offering him a seat next to hers, and he was happy to take it. John sat in front of her. He turned and looked at Jack before he mouthed 'I'm sorry'.

That was a little strange. Jack didn't know what the guy apologized for, and wanted to ask, but he didn't get time before the teacher entered the room.

When the class was over, John took off without a word. Jack didn't catch up with him again until they were outside the choir room. He really wanted to know why the guy said 'sorry'.

"Oh...It was nothing. I just felt that I was a little rude yesterday." John shrugged. "I was just a little intimidated by your... " His lips curled into a crooked smile. "Your voice is really good, and you're very handsome. I felt threatened."

Jack was intrigued. "And you don't feel threatened anymore?" He asked as they crossed the floor to get to their seats. John sat down. "Ehm, well yes. I mean I do, but come on. You're gorgeous, and you sing, er, beautifully. I'd be a fool If I didn't like having you around."

John was obviously flirting, and Jack wasn't sure how to take that. The guy was very good looking and even if he stuttered a little at the moment, he seemed generally very confident and sure of himself.

If he'd thought it would be tough to keep Gwen at a distance, it would be a piece of cake compared to this. If John pulled out the big guns and went for it, Jack wasn't sure if would be able to resist.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"With Jack on the team... - Welcome Jack." Mr Evans smiled and nodded towards him. "With him, we have the twelve members we need to compete." He paused for a second. "I have to admit that Mr Schuester already signed you up for sectionals because we were sure we would be able to fill that last spot."

Jack technically didn't know what it meant, but he joined the others when they cheered. His old school didn't have a Glee-club, and the school choir never attended any competitions, so even if he had limited information he was excited.

"We have a little more than a month to prepare. I have some ideas already, but I want input from you guys as well." Mr Evans walked up to the whiteboard and grabbed a marker. "Until then, we are going to have weekly assignments. This week was cut a little short, and I'm sorry."

He turned to the board and started writing. "EUROPE. European music, European artists. We've already heard Pink Floyd and Andrew Lloyd Webber, so let's try to look at the other countries over there. Be creative. Do solos or perform in groups." Mr Evans panned the crowd. "Surprise me."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Charlie was hanging outside the door to the choir room, and she overheard every word in there. She kind of felt like she knew them all a little bit after being on stage with them yesterday. That was probably a stretch. She knew their names and she she knew their voices, but she technically only knew the few of them that she shared classes with.

During their rehearsal in the free period on Monday, Unique and Castiel had spent a few minutes talking with the musicians. Charlie wasn't used to that. Normally they'd get a sheet of music ahead of time, and were expected to play flawlessly at the performance.

This time, it had been a little different. The students in New Directions had an assignment over the weekend, and the girls in the string ensemble didn't even know that they had to attend until that very morning.

She shared a few classes with Castiel, although she knew him as Jim. Charlie didn't care about that. He could call himself whatever he wanted. She'd recognized Ianto from English class, and Kevin was in advanced Math and also in computer club with her and Garth. It wasn't like she would be a total stranger when she entered the room.

She had also got a chance to shake hands with the new guy. He was really something. Charlie could see that the other girls practically drooled over him, and she could understand. He was very handsome.

With a voice like that and a friendship with The Rachel Berry, he could have been cocky and full of himself, but he seemed very humbled to be there. He even came over and thanked them all personally after his and Miss Berry's last runthrough before the show started.

Charlie had wanted to be in Glee-club since she started high-school, but there wasn't any time between classes and orchestra. Another issue was, that even if playing the fiddle didn't put her in with the popular kids, she knew that the New Directions went through hardships that she couldn't even imagine.

This year was totally different. All the arts programs were up and running, the orchestra was thriving, and now, Charlie felt that she didn't belong there anymore.

She noticed that one of the guys from the football team came towards her. and Charlie braced herself. Even if the jocks could get punished severely for bullying the nerds this year, she didn't quite trust it. She was alone in the hall with one of them, and there would be no witnesses.

"Are you going in there?" The guy actually looked a little intimidated. "I, er, I'm thinking about it myself, but I don't know." He threw a peek over his shoulders as if he was expecting someone to come up behind him. Charlie chuckled a little to herself. A footballer in Glee-club; that was unexpected. She knew that he wasn't the first one in the history of New Directions, but this year there were none so far.

"I am. Going in there, I mean." Charlie nodded towards the door. She knew instantly that this guy was more intimidated about this than she was, and she tried not to smirk when she felt that she had the upper hand. The presumably tough jock was actually blushing a little, and Charlie had to look away so he wouldn't notice how humorous the situation was for her.

"Sush!" She wasn't quite sure, but after a few minutes of silence in the choir room, she thought she heard Sam Evans' voice again. It was supposed to be her cue, but the football guy had thrown her off.

"I'm going in right now, I have to play for them before I do my song audition. Come on." Charlie turned the knob quietly and pushed the door open slowly. The football player followed her in, but he stopped by the door while she snuck over to the band.

Mr Evans was obviously ready for her, and as soon as she'd picked up her violin, he nodded for her to start. There was no time for fine tuning, but she was pretty sure the instrument was good to go anyway.

The first few measures of 'Londonderry air' trickled out as Mr Evan's addressed his class. "I'm gonna give you an example." He chuckled a little as he threw a peek at Charlie. He mouthed 'I'm sorry' before he turned back to his students. "I should have chosen something else, because I didn't have time to learn the lyrics perfectly."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_"Oh, Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling_

_From glen to glen, and down the mountain side…"_

The director looked lost for a split second, but then he continued.

_"The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,_

_'Tis you, 'Tis you must go and I must bide."_

When he again seemed like he'd forgotten how to proceed, Jack decided to help out. He knew that song very well.

_"But come ye back when summer's in the meadow,"_

Jack sang with Mr Evans as he walked to the front of the class.

_"Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,_

_'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow,—_

_Oh, Danny Boy, oh Danny Boy, I love you so!_"

Sam stepped to the side and took a bow as he threw his hand out towards Jack. "You can do it alone. I'm officially outsung."

Jack could hear that the rest of the band was joining the lonely violin, and he let them play a few extra measures before he started on the second verse.

Being the new guy, he was a little afraid that the rest of the class would think that he was a little too bold. It couldn't be helped. If they didn't like him it would be their loss. Jack knew that he was really a nice guy, and he'd help any one of them out if they needed it.

_"...For you shall bend and tell me that you love me,_

_And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me!_

_Oh Danny Boy, Oh Danny boy, I love you so."_

The band went quiet, and the young girl with the violin played the end measures all by herself. It sounded beautiful, and when she was done the whole class cheered wildly,

Jack wasn't sure if they applauded for him or for her, but that didn't matter. They all seemed to like what they'd heard, and the smiles on their faces when they looked at him seemed genuine.

**The new new guy and the girl who made it happen.**

Dean didn't know he had been clapping until multiple sets of eyes stared at him. He didn't feel very confident as he pushed away from the wall, but he did his best not to let it show.

"Hey. That was good." He nodded towards the singer. "Jack isn't it? English class. I sit right behind you." A good portion of his English class was there, and even if he hadn't elaborated too much, they've all probably heard that he had dropped a few lines about the nerds in Glee.

Jane - Dean remembered her name now - and the twins didn't look very amused by his appearance, while John rolled his eyes as he seemed to be on his way over to greet him. Dean sent the guy a piercing stare, and it worked because he slumped back down in his seat again. It wasn't until this moment Dean realized that this was the guy who'd spotted him eavesdropping. It was a little embarrassing to discover. They'd been in class together for a month already, and Dean hadn't even recognized him.

In the corner of his eye, he could see that Gwen was looking down as she did her best to cover up a giggle. He chose to ignore it. Wade - dressed as a girl with makeup and all - gave him a small wave and an encouraging smile.

Sam's friends, Jo, Kevin and that funny looking guy Garth, were looking at each other and seemed to hold their breaths. The blue-eyed boy that Dean remembered from the hall the other day, was just staring curiously at him, and the British guy seemed totally unaware of what was happening.

Dean nodded towards the band and gave the red-headed violinist a quick smile before he looked around for Mr Schuester. He wasn't there, but a tall, blonde, handsome guy was pushing away from the piano and came towards him. "Hi. Who are you? Are you here to join?" His smile was contagious, and Dean couldn't help smiling back. "Well, er, yeah. I kind of…"

The guy reached his hand out. "I'm Sam Evans, I'm the director of Glee-club. You will have to audition. I can set up a time right now if you wish?" Dean grabbed his hand and shook it. "Uh, well… Can I do it now?"

Dean had been curious about the Glee-club for a long time, and had been listening in on several occasions, so he knew how things worked in there. Mr Evans shrugged and panned the group. "Shall we let him?"

A unison 'yeah' came back. Not all of the voices sounded equally enthusiastic, but Dean tried not to let that get to him. He walked over to the drummer and gave him a few instructions before he turned towards the audience.

The drummer had picked up a set of congas and started hitting them at the required beat. The Brit seemed to wake up, and it was clear that he knew what was coming.

_"Please allow me to introduce myself_

_I'm a man of wealth and taste_

_I've been around for a long, long year_

_Stole many a man's soul to waste…"_

Dean tried not to think about it as an audition. He pictured himself in front of the mirror in their little apartment singing all by himself. The director was quietly tapping his thigh to the beat as he watched the performance.

_"Pleased to meet you_

_Hope you guess my name…"_

Dean decided to be bold. He took a few steps forward and reached out to pat Jack's shoulder. He chose Jack because he was the only one in the front who seemed unconditionally pleased about the whole thing. To the rest of them he only threw a smile and a nod before he stepped back again.

_"But what's puzzling you_

_Is the nature of my game…"_

Dean kept singing as he walked around in the room, and after the second chorus, the whole choir joined him. The subtle 'Woo-woos' he could hear in the background of his own voice pleased him immensely.

The song was very long, so Dean cut a few of the verses. He didn't want to take up too much of their time.

_"So if you meet me_

_Have some courtesy_

_Have some sympathy, and some taste_

_Use all your well-learned politeness_

_Or I'll lay your soul to waste, mm yeah…"_

_-_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Charlie smiled to herself. The guy that looked so intimidated and almost scared when she met him in the hall, was putting up quite a show. Even if his voice wasn't as good as Jack's, this guy was definitely star material.

Mr evans went up to him and patted his shoulder. "Welcome to Glee-club. What's your name? I'm guessing it's not Lucifer." Charlie knew that he referred to the song, but nobody except the British guy seemed to find it remotely amusing. "I'm Dean, Dean Winchester." He gave the crowd a quick nod.

Charlie noticed that some of the students in there didn't seem too happy, and she wondered why. Madison and Mason - she remembered their names from the show last night - were sticking their head together. The blonde girl looked like she'd just eaten something she didn't like, and both Kevin and Garth were shaking their heads as they shared a telling look.

With the slightly hostile environment at the moment, Charlie wasn't sure if she should try to get an audition today. She started to pack up her instrument, and decided to wait a couple more days.

"Hey. You were going to audition as well." Dean had obviously noticed that she was about to sneak away and came running over. "You helped me over that threshold," he waved towards the door. "I will support you unconditionally in your try-out."

Charlie panned the audience as she shook her head. "I'm not so sure your unconditional support will help me." She whispered as she closed the violin case. "I need their support, and I'm sorry to say, but it looks to me as if they don't like you very much."

"Charlie, Charlie, Charlie." Kevin and Garth had obviously picked up that she'd planned to sing. They were clapping and tried to urge the rest of the choir to join the cheer. A few of the others picked it up, and soon the whole crowd were singing her name.

Mr Evans looked at her. "Seems to me that you don't have a choice. Come on. You play beautifully, I'm sure you can sing wonderful as well."

Charlie had been singing since she was a toddler and she had taken vocal lessons in her early teens, but she had never sung in front of an audience before. Playing in the orchestra was very different from this. Even when she had a solo performance, it wasn't this nerve wracking. She could focus on the instrument and the sound of the music instead of herself.

She cleared her throat. "I, I didn't warm up, I wasn't, well I was, but…I prepared a song, but I can't…. I have to… European, you said? I know a few." Completely out of breath, she had to pause to inhale. Mr Evans chuckled a little as he patted her arm. "The European thing was an assignment for the members, and since you're not a member yet…" He smiled at her. "Whatever you want. And remember, this room is magical. Warm-ups are rarely necessary."

The song that she'd planned to sing included the violin, but she decided not to try to hide behind the instrument. Dean had showed extreme boldness in there and she didn't want to be any less daring. It was perfectly clear that the guys in the club didn't like Dean very much, but he'd still managed to put up a great performance of an otherwise - in Charlies opinion - sad and boring song.

Charlie already had the support and she only needed to show that she could actually sing. She gestured for Brad to scoot over so she could share the piano stool with him. Her proficiency on the piano wasn't great, but she dabbled.

She hit the keys and started playing, and it took but a second for Brad to pick up and play with her. After the short intro, she got up and left the piano to him.

_"When are you gonna come down?_

_When are you going to land?_

_I should have stayed on the farm_

_Should have listened to my old man."_

The smiles in front of her calmed her down a little. The group was swaying from side to side in sync with the beat, and she could hear somebody humming along.

_"So goodbye yellow brick road_

_Where the dogs of society howl…"_

Did someone actually howl a little? Charlie wasn't sure.

_"You can't plant me in your penthouse_

_I'm going back to my plough…"_

It was a little weird standing there without her violin. Charlie didn't really know what to do with her hands. She was so used to performing with it that she actually lifted her arms and pretended to hold an imaginary fiddle. The guitarist picked up and during a short solo, he managed to make his instrument sound like a violin.

_"Back to the howling old owl in the woods_

_Hunting the horny back toad_

_Oh I've finally decided my future lies_

_Beyond the yellow brick road."_

The choir was joining her on the 'aaa's' at the end, and with the harmonies they added it sounded awesome.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Danny boy - L: Frederic Weatherly, M: Londonderry air, unknown composer**

**Sympathy for the Devil - L/M: Jagger/Richards**

**Goodbye Yellow Brick road - L: Bernie Taupin, M: Elton John**


	8. 14 divided by 4

The fourteen members of New Directions have to make teams to do group numbers. For some it's easy to pick their teammates, while others have to take what they can get.

* * *

**...are they or are they not...**

Ianto and John kept working together on their assignments. They hadn't done a duet together since that first one, but they'd helped each other out with song choices and rehearsals. Gwen and Jo's little cooperation was also thriving, and on a couple of occasions, the four of them had rehearsed together.

This week they had a group assignment, and it felt totally natural for them to team up for it. Both Gwen and John wanted Jack to join them as well, but he had already been taken.

"He is so totally dreamy." Gwen stared into the air. "And so totally not into girls." John replied drily. "But yeah, dreamy is the word," he added as he gave her a wink. "I don't believe that." Jo chipped in. "He is hanging around Jane all the time, I'm sure he has a crush on her."

Ianto chose not to comment. He had seen another side of Jack, and he was not going to share that with the others. Sweet, friendly, and totally gorgeous Jack was very well liked by everybody although he had a tendency to play small pranks. It was never anything sinister or evil, and everybody always got a good laugh out of it.

What happened in the restroom after rehearsal about a week ago could of course just be one of those little pranks, but Ianto wasn't convinced. Jack had come up from behind and wrapped his arms around him. After doing a couple of samba moves as he rubbed his crotch against Ianto's ass, Jack had let go and as he walked away; he blew him a kiss before he was out the door.

He didn't want to put too much into it, and he agreed with himself that what Jack did was kind of rude. If he'd tried that on a girl there would have been no end to the drama. There was still only one thing that really bothered Ianto about this. He liked it. Ever since that incident, he always got a tingle in his gut when he looked at Jack, but the guy seemed to have forgotten already.

"Hey, while we're at it, what about Cas and Wade?" Gwen wiggled her head from side to side as she looked at the others. "The two of them are practically symbiotic. They do all their assignments together and they sit together…" She shrugged a little. Jo exhaled audibly before she drew her breath. "Seriously? They are friends, just friends. I think you just have rainbow colored lenses. Not everybody is gay, you know." She looked at Gwen and shook her head.

"Last week you thought Mason was gay, and before that, you believed that Ianto and John had a thing, that they were gay as well." Jo threw her hands out. "It's perfectly possible for two guys to just be friends. Right boys?"

Ianto didn't want to answer that. He and John were just friends, but he himself could so easily find guys attractive. John was a little slippery on that point, and he was a little hard to read, so Ianto didn't really know what he was thinking. There had been moments between them that could have turned slightly awkward, but so far the two of them had kept it in the friendship zone without a problem.

Jo continued. "I do believe that Wade, er, Unique is gay, but other than that… No. I have never had any gay friends and unlike you, I'm not running around trying to dig up some. I'm fine being in a mostly heterosexual choir." She folded her arms across her chest and stared at Gwen.

"Ahem." John scooted over and wrapped an arm over Jo's shoulders. "Sweet, innocent little girl. You have no idea, do you?" He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Unique is transgender, technically not gay per se, Jack is most certainly gay, Castiel… yeah maybe. The new guy has a thing for a nice ass, preferably male ones, and me, I'm not so very straight either." Jo threw him a peek under her lashes. "Stop kidding around."

John chuckled a little. "I'm not kidding. Me and Ianto are just friends though. He is probably not gay, although I could be wrong." Jo was about to say something when John shushed her. "Oh, Oh, and Charlie. Cute redheaded Charlie. She's so lesbian."

Ianto nodded to himself. His suspicions about John had been correct and he wondered if this knowledge would change anything between them. The guy was handsome and funny, and Ianto really liked his company, but he wasn't sure if he liked him that way. He had of course given it more than one thought during the time they'd hung out together, but the jury was still out on that.

"Ianto! Wake up!" Gwen was practically shouting at him. "Are you with us, or are you on another planet right now." Ianto could feel a little blush on his cheeks, but it faded quickly. "Yeah, Yeah, I mean, uh… What were we talking about again?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Castiel was perfectly aware of the rumors that went around about him and Unique. He didn't care about that. The only thing he worried about was if the rumors would hit suburbia, and stir up things for him at home.

He had been very adamant about going to this particular school when they came to Lima, because it was the one furthest away from his house. The likelihood of meeting any neighbors here was slim. It wasn't that he'd planned to befriend a trans-girl, but he didn't want his family to pry into his private life. There had been way too much of that over the years.

The two of them didn't hang out much outside of school, and never at Castiel's, but Unique had come to his church one time when Castiel's choir was performing. She'd come as Wade, and had done her best to act more macho than usual. For Castiel, it had just been weird, but his father had been fooled. It wasn't that Unique actually spent much time with the pastor - it was pretty much just a quick handshake and a few words - but the man had been more concerned about the fact that Castiel's friend didn't attend church on a regular basis.

The few times they had been to Unique's house, they had been mostly listening to music and singing along. On a couple of occasions, Cas had been made up and dressed up, and he had to scrub his face thoroughly before he went home to make sure that there wasn't any traces of makeup left.

Sometimes they talked about boys, but for a while Cas had been a little evasive on that point. He was afraid that if they dived into that, Unique could come on to him and ruin a perfectly good friendship.

It took a few weeks of him shying away from the subject before Unique had had enough. "We're friends right?" She waited until Cas nodded. "I'm sorry, but sometimes I feel that you are somewhat afraid of me."

Castiel felt very uncomfortable, and he wanted to defend himself, but he didn't get a chance. "I like you. I can maybe even say that I love you, but only as a friend. No offence, but your scrawny white ass doesn't do it for me baby."

Cas had to laugh and Unique seemed relieved by it. "I've seen you made up as a girl, and you are very cute, but come on. The two of us could never be a couple. You like guys, and I'm a girl." She had to draw her breath. "Two fruitcakes together would be just way too sweet."

She leaned over and gave him a hug. "I know that you like them a little macho. I've seen you on the bleachers watching those guys on the football team very closely, and I know that you're not into sports. Let's do it together next time."

For the group assignment this week, Unique had been pretty sure they could get Jane to team up with them, but she was already taken by Jack. The McCarthy's had joined them and that left Cas and Unique in a little bit of a pickle. The guys from computer club had their own little thing going, so their best bet was to try to split up the group containing Jo, Gwen, Ianto and John.

That was a hopeless task, so they ended up with Dean. For Cas it was quite alright. The guy was on the football team, and Cas had seen him on the field. He was very handsome in his gear. In the choir room he seemed a little lost though, but it could be explained by the fact that nobody really talked to him much.

It was mostly his own fault. The guy didn't make much of an effort to befriend anybody. Cas liked him though, and was secretly excited to work with him.

Dean often played the guitar himself when he performed, and he was really good, but he made everything sound like rock and roll. Last week for the Disney challenge, though, he'd surprised everybody with the most beautiful rendition of 'Strangers like me' from Tarzan.

"I wanna know, can you show me

I wanna know about these strangers like me

Tell me more, please show me

Something's familiar about these strangers like me…"

Castiel was pretty sure that the guy meant every word, and that the song was his best effort to try to connect with the rest of the club. It didn't work wonders, but for the first time since he joined, he got a genuine applause, and even a couple of cheers.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kevin wasn't too thrilled about teaming up with Garth and Charlie. It wasn't that he didn't like hanging out with them; he enjoyed their company and they shared many mutual interests, but none of them were really shining stars in there.

He had joined Glee-club on a dare, and when he and Jo stood there in the beginning of the semester as the only two members, Kevin had not been very sure that it had been a good choice. Luckily it didn't take long before more students found their way to the choir room, and as their numbers rose, Kevin learned that he would probably never be picked for a lead.

John was really good, but it wasn't until Cas and Unique joined that Kevin understood that he was out on a limb. Comparing himself to them, he wasn't even sure if he would have been accepted if Mr Schuester hadn't been a little desperate in the beginning.

Jane and the twins didn't change his view on this, and now they had Jack and Dean there as well. It wasn't that he looked at this as a career choice, and he had been content being in the background, but after singing in the auditorium, he got a taste for it.

Until that point, he had just been toiling away, chasing good grades, and hoping for some fun in between. Now, he started to look forward to the next time he could be on stage, and he was practicing every day. He had also convinced his mother to pay for private song lessons, just to up his game.

When they teamed up with Jane for the performance they had when Mr Evans arrived, she had orchestrated the whole thing. She had pushed Kevin and Garth to their limits, and she had taught them a few little tricks during that weekend. Jane had been thrilled that Garth actually could dance, and the two of them had spent some time on choreography, making Kevin feel like a third wheel for a while.

But of course, he couldn't expect her to drag them along forever. When she got a chance to sing with the 'incredible Jack', she grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Kevin was a little annoyed by the fact that everybody swarmed around the guy. Not that he was jealous, but all of them were supposed to be in this together. It wasn't 'Mr Harkness with choir'.

Kevin felt a little bad for thinking like that. Jack was very down to earth; he was friendly with everybody, and he also managed to say the right words at the right time to make each and every one of them feel good about themselves. Jack was also the only one who actually tried to include Dean, even if Sammy's brother didn't make much of an effort himself.

"Speak of the devil." Kevin said to himself when he saw the Winchester brothers come towards him. He was sitting on the stairs waiting for Charlie and Garth as he was sifting through the music library on the computer trying to find something they could use for the assignment, .

"What did you say?" Sammy sat down next to him, while Dean leaned on the wall a few feet away. "Oh, nothing. Talking to myself. It's what geniuses do." Kevin chuckled a little. "I'm just trying to find a song."

Sam smiled and nudged his shoulder. "Well, genius, tell me how you are going to get to Garth's house without me?" He held up the car keys.

Kevin didn't have a car, and his mom was out of town for the day. Charlie's car was at the garage, and Garth only had two seats in his pickup truck. "Oh, nice." Kevin turned briefly to Dean. "Thanks."

Dean pushed away from the wall. "Don't forget to come pick me up. You have the address, right?" He was about to walk away, but Kevin was too curious to let him leave without asking. "Ahem, er, Dean, who did you team up with?" He knew it wasn't Jack, and none of the others had exchanged many words with the guy.

"I'm working with Jim and Wade." He seemed a little uncomfortable, but then he hurried to turn to Sam. "See you later, and don't get caught." Kevin got a little puzzled by his words to his brother, but chose to ignore it at the moment. "You mean Castiel and Unique, the dynamic duo. Tell me, are they a couple, or…"

Dean scoffed and sent him a piercing stare. "How would I know, I don't know them." He'd already turned away and he gave them a quick wave as he trotted down the hall.

Kevin chuckled as he turned to Sam again. "Your brother isn't the most friendly guy on earth, is he? What did he mean 'don't get caught'?" Sammy sighed as was playing with the car keys. "Well, technically I don't have a licence." He rolled his eyes. "Does it bother you?"

He hadn't really given it much thought, but of course. Sam was a sophomore, and even if he looked older, the two of them were probably the same age. "Oh. No… I don't think so. You are a good driver, and it's not my problem if you get busted." He giggled as he got up. "Maybe you shouldn't tell Charlie."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Tension?**

"Your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me

But bear this in mind, it was meant to be

And I'm joining up the dots…"

Gwen was strumming the guitar as she sang softly. She wasn't a very good guitar player, but she knew a few songs.

"No. No way. We are not doing One Direction for the assignment." Ianto sat on the bed with a disgruntled expression on his face. Gwen stopped playing and looked at him. "We're not doing Pink Floyd or Rolling Stones either, love."

John had made himself comfortable on the little sofa. It was best used for sitting, he remembered vividly how it was to try to sleep in it. "Stop it, you two. There are more bands in the world than the ones from UK. Although I like them all, I agree with both of you. We have to come up with something new and surprising."

Jo was sitting on the floor next to Gwen with headphones on. She seemed to be in her own little world, mouthing the words to a song that only she could hear. John kicked her gently on the ankle. "Hey, you. Come on, help out."

It took a moment before she managed to rip herself loose from the music. "Yeah, uh, I'm thinking we should do a number from a musical. Make it big with costumes and all." She cocked her head. "I mean, we have to do something spectacular. We are competing with Jack and Jane."

Ianto shook his head and smiled. "This is not a competition. We have to do the best we can, but it's not like we're going to fail if somebody else is better." He looked away for a second. "None of us can compete with Jack."

John looked up abruptly and stared at Ianto. "You like him! You really like him. Like, are you… Oh, man you're blushing." He covered up a small giggle. "I mean he's something, I wouldn't mind… never mind."

There was an awkward silence in the room before Ianto decided to do some damage control. "Come on. Everybody likes him. He is very likeable. Jack doesn't judge anybody, and he tries to make us all better. And, and… He is not afraid of embarrassing himself at all. You know, he sang to one of the lunch ladies as she scooped his food the other day."

The three others looked at him. "Really? What did he sing?" Gwen was the one to ask. Ianto shrugged. "It was just a silly nursery rhyme, but he made it sound, erm, like a…" Ianto noticed that John lifted his brow before he gave him a wink, and decided to stop before he handed the guy more ammunition. "It was nothing, but he got a few cheers, and the lady gave him an extra scoop."

Oh man, this was bad. Ianto was unable to meet John eyes, and hurried to turn to Jo. "What did you have in mind? We should really get on with this and find a song as soon as possible."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A big, bald, black man opened the door and stared at Dean with penetrating eyes. Dean had seen that look many times. The eyes that stared at him through a facemask just before he got tackled on the field, was very similar to the look this guy gave him.

It lasted only a moment before the man's face broke into a wide smile. "You must be Dean. They are waiting for you in the den." He stepped to the side so Dean could enter. "I'm Rob. I'm Wade's, er, Unique's father. Come in. Let me take your jacket."

Dean didn't want to take off his jacket, but he didn't feel like he could turn down the offer. "Thank you, sir." He pulled the jacket off before he bent down to untie his boots. Rob pointed to a shoe rack. "You can just put them there, I'll announce your arrival."

He felt naked as he stood there waiting after putting his boots nicely next to what he believed was Castiel's. It took only a few seconds before Wade appeared. Dean still had a little trouble calling him Unique. They shared several classes, and Dean had known him as Wade until they met in Glee-club. It wasn't that he really had learned to know the guy. He'd just seen him in class, but had never exchanged a single word with him before they were in the choir room together.

Wade came strutting towards him in a sequined dress, and with a blue feather boa wrapped around his neck. Dean braced himself, but at the same time he realized that 'Unique' was a more fitting name for this character.

It was a little puzzling, but Dean decided not to let it bother him. They were going to work together on this assignment, and no matter what, he knew that he was the odd one out. "Hi, nice dress." Dean knew that his facial expression didn't quite fit the words, so he forced a smile to cover up.

Technically, it wasn't a problem for him that the guy wanted to be a girl. He was actually more bothered by the fact that Castiel and Unique seemed to be an item. As Unique led him through the house, Dean wondered if Cas was attracted to Unique, or Wade.

None of the above, obviously. The moment he stepped into the den, Unique turned to him. "Don't listen to rumors. Me and Cas are not together. We are just friends, so you're not working with a couple here. I want you to know this, so you don't go around and think that it's you against us. We are friends and you can be our friend as well." He took a step back, making Dean almost crash into him. "Mind you." He whispered. "The guy is cute as a button, but not really my type. You're a bit closer, but a little too pale for my taste."

Dean was a little taken aback but managed to compose himself. He saw Castiel standing by a shelf sifting through some CD's. He had his back turned against them, and Dean was surprised about how disappointed he was that the guy didn't greet him as he entered. When he finally did turn around, Cas didn't even throw a peek Dean's way at first. "How about this one." He held up a CD with the soundtrack from 'Hairspray'." Then he shifted his gaze a tad and looked at Dean a little sideways. "Oh, hi Dean."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Listen!" Jo had been on the computer for a while, going through her whole playlist to try to find something they could agree on. Now, she stood up and plugged the laptop into Ianto's guitar amplifier. "Listen, I think this could work." She pressed the play button on the youtube video she'd picked and soon they could all hear the subtle piano of a song John knew very well.

"How can you see into my eyes like open doors?

Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb…"

Jo's voice sounded beautiful, and he agreed with her choice wholeheartedly. This was something they could do. He threw a peek at Ianto and Gwen, and was happy when he spotted a bit of excitement in their eyes. John wasn't sure how to do it as a quartet, but he knew in his gut that they'd make it work.

Ianto didn't hesitate for a second, but threw himself into the chorus.

"Wake me up

Wake me up inside

I can't wake up

Wake me up inside

Save me…"

It was so perfect. John joined in on Ianto's lines, but he kept it down and managed to harmonize with his friend.

Gwen ran over to Jo and looked at the screen. "A karaoke version. How nice." She smiled as Jo gestured for her to do the second verse.

"Now that I know what I'm without

You can't just leave me

Breathe into me and make me real

Bring me to life..."

Again, John and Ianto did the chorus together, and this time it was perfection. Gwen sang her part as if she was on stage. It was just awesome.

"Wake me up

Wake me up inside…"

The two girls sang the next lines together as if they had rehearsed it before. The harmony was perfect.

"Frozen inside without your touch

Without your love, darling

Only you are the life among the dead…"

John and Ianto looked at each other for a split second, Ianto gave him a quick nod and that was all John needed.

"All this time I can't believe I couldn't see

Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me…"

John had no idea how the girls determined who was going to sing the different lines of the song, but he really didn't care. When the chorus came up again all four of them sang. John looked over at Gwen and he could see that she was done. The two of them left the last few lines to Ianto and Jo.

"Bring me to life

I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside

Bring me to life."

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Strangers like me - from Disney's Tarzan - M/L: Phil Collins**

**Little things - One Direction - M/L: Fiona Bevan and Ed Sheeran **

**Bring me to life - Evanescence - M/L: Amy Lee, Ben Moody, David Hodges**


	9. Making friends

They all perform their group number. Sam is feeling sorry for himself, and Dean has possibly made a new friend.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Without love - from Hairspray - M: Marc Shaiman, L: Scott Wittman/Shaiman**

**Nights in white satin - The Moody blues - M/L: Justin Hayward**

**What a man - Linda Lyndell (original) M/L: Dave Crawford**

**My girl - The temptations - M/L: Smokey Robinson and Ronald White**

**Here I go again - Whitesnake - M/L: David Coverdale, Bernie Marsden**

**'Tom Dooley' and 'You'll never walk alone'**

* * *

**Performing a group number**

They introduced themselves as 'Evan-no-sense-at-all'. Sam Evans found it quite humorous, even if he never expected or intended for them to name their groups. He was pretty sure that Gwen and Jo were the brains behind the name; he'd heard about their quite hilarious performance of 'If I didn't have you', and knew that the two had it in them.

There was no humor in the Evanescence song they performed though, but that was not a problem at all. Sam really enjoyed their rendition of the song, even if it was kind of dark. Jo was doing an excellent job as the lead; Gwen had definitely stepped up her act, and was almost able to measure up to the other girl.

Ianto was perfect on the chorus, but Sam was a little disappointed that John barely got to sing alone. His voice was really good, but in this song he'd mostly just backed up the others with beautiful harmonies.

Sam wasn't surprised when the four of them received wild cheers from the rest of the guy's in the choir room. The room didn't really give the song justice, so Sam took a mental note to try it in the auditorium at one point. This was possibly something they could think about for sectionals.

The next group up was Cas, Unique and Dean. Sam didn't know what to expect. They were all really good singers, but he wondered how their cooperation had gone. Dean was a little bit of a loose cannon, and wouldn't take any crap from anybody.

'The choirboy, the rocker and the diva.' Sam named them in his head as they came up to the piano. He couldn't think of any songs that would fit them all, and he was curious to how they'd solved this assignment.

He got a little bit surprised when it looked like Dean was going to start. Sam got even more surprised when the band started and he realized what song the three of them were going to do.

"Once I was a selfish fool

Who never understood

Never looked inside myself

Though on the outside, I looked good!..."

It was very good. Sam leaned back in his chair and decided that he'd worried for no three of them did the chorus together, with Unique in the middle and the two boys holding her hands.

"Without love

Life is like the seasons with no summer

Without love

Life is rock 'n' roll without a drummer…"

They'd changed the lyrics somewhat to make it fit better, but only minor adjustments were made and it didn't interfere with the meaning of the song.

"In my ivory tower

Life was just a hostess snack

But now I've tasted chocolate

And I'm never going back…"

After singing his lines, Castiel kissed Unique on the cheek before the next chorus.

"'Cause without love

Life is like a beat that you can't follow

Without love

Life is Doris Day at the Apollo

Darling, I'll be yours forever

'Cause I never wanna be

Without love

So darlin' never set me free…"

Unique was still standing between the two boys, and they stared at her as the three of them alternated on singing the next few lines.

"If I'm left without my baby doll

I don't know what I'll do."

"Link, I've got to break out

So that I can get my hands on you."

"And girl, if I can't touch you

I'm gonna lose control."

Dean didn't hold back, and it was quite interesting to see him in this group setting. He had previously not seemed very keen on making friends, so this was good in so many ways.

"Without love

Life is like a prom that won't invite us

Without love

Life's getting my big break and laryngitis

Without love…"

Sam noticed that he wasn't the only one who was pleased about the performance. A few of the students still looked at Dean with suspicion, but most of them smiled and a couple even joined in on the last chorus.

"No I don't wanna live

Without love

Darlin' you have best believed me,

Never, leave me

Without love."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sam called a short break before Charlie, Garth, and Kevin's performance. It was partially because the three of them weren't quite ready, but he also had a couple of announcements about sectionals.

Ianto didn't pay much attention. Even if he hadn't been a part of Glee-club before, he knew how it worked. He'd been to see the performances last year and the year before that, and was quite aware of what would be expected of them.

While Mr Evans was talking, Ianto watched as Charlie's little string ensemble shuffled in, and he wondered what the geeks were up to. He got very surprised when Kevin sat down with a cello, and started tuning it. He didn't know that the guy was a musician, but then again, he didn't know him very well at all.

He considered everybody in there as friends, but had to admit that he didn't spend much time with them outside of this room. He shared a few classes with Garth, Charlie, and Castiel, and Ianto had sat with them for lunch a couple of times, but he still didn't feel that he knew them.

Kevin was a sophomore, and even if he was good friends with Jo, Ianto had yet to meet the guy outside the choir room. He knew it was his own fault; he could have been more forthcoming and joined them for lunch, but it felt awkward to interfere when they sat there with their classmates.

Gwen and John were the only seniors that he could say he knew. The rest of them often hung out together, and if it was awkward joining the sophomores, it was even worse trying to butt in at the senior's table.

They would probably welcome him, but Jack was always the center of attention among them, and Ianto was afraid that the guy would think that he came over for him. He knew that it was just paranoia on his behalf, but the fact that he wanted to hang out with Jack made it very intimidating to try. Ianto was sure that everybody would be able to read him like a book.

Charlie announced that they were ready, and Mr Evans came over and sat down with the rest of the class.

Ianto knew the song, although it was very different from how he'd heard it before. The intro was much more elaborated and longer than the original, but the strings suited the melody nicely.

"Nights in white satin

Never reaching the end…"

Garth started singing as the girls in the ensemble quieted down. Only the drummer accompanied Kevin and Charlie as they continued playing their instruments.

"Beauty I've always missed

With these eyes before…"

Kevin did the next lines, and it did interfere with his playing, but the girl with the cello picked up quickly and played his part.

Charlie lowered the violin as the chorus came up. The rest of the band and the girls with the strings, joined the drummer creating a nice backdrop for the singing trio. Garth did the melody line, while Kevin and Charlie harmonized.

"'Cause I love you

Yeah I love you…"

They played the second verse almost exactly like the first one. After the chorus, both Kevin and Charlie played a short solo each before the three of them sang the first verse again. This time, they did it all together and let the band take care of the music.

They received standing ovations, and Sam seemed very pleased with them. He noted that Kevin hadn't told them that he played the cello, and the boy shook his head. "It's been a while, and I'm sorry, but I'm a little rusty."

Jack's group was up last. Ianto had been waiting for this, and looked forward to hear the guy sing. He explained it to himself with the fact that Jack was exceptionally good, and it was a pleasure to listen to him, but deep down he knew that he was trying to kid himself.

The band started playing an unfamiliar tune as the four of them walked to the front of the class. Jack and Mason was just standing there as the two girls started singing. Madison was holding Jack's hand, and Jane had her arm loosely wrapped around Mason's waist.

"I get lovin' (lovin')

By the hundred

And I get lovin' (lovin')

By the pint

Got me doin' the camel walk

In my sleep

Make me do the James Brown

Every time I get on my feet…"

It wasn't until they hit the chorus that Ianto recognized the song.

"What a man, what a man, what a man

what a mighty good man…"

He watched as Madison practically rubbed herself on Jack while she sang it. It was like a visual innuendo, and for Ianto it was almost a little appalling. He could see that Mr Evans was a little concerned as well, while a few of the others cheered and whooped. A stare from the director made them stop, but the moment was over anyway.

There was a change in tune as the two boys stepped forward.

"I've got sunshine on a cloudy day

When it's cold outside I've got the month of May

Well I guess you'd say

What can make me feel this way?"

They grabbed the girls' hands and twirled them around as they sang.

"My girl (my girl, my girl)

Talkin' 'bout my girl (my girl)..."

It went back and forth between the two songs, until they ended it with a joint effort. The girls sang the chorus from 'What a man' softly in the background while the boys took it all out on the last few lines of 'My girl'."

"With my girl (My girl)

(Talkin' 'bout my girl my girl) I've even got the month of May

With my girl (My girl, woah)

She's all I can think (My girl)

(Talkin' 'bout my girl my girl)

Talkin' 'bout, talkin' 'bout my girl (My girl, woah)"

Jack didn't stand out compared to the others, and Ianto was slightly disappointed. They did an excellent performance, but he would have wanted to hear a solo from the guy. The rest of the class was obviously quite satisfied with them, and cheered wildly as the four of them went back to their seats.

As he passed Ianto, Jack nudged him gently. "You didn't like it?" He gave Ianto's shoulder a quick squeeze. "I'm sure I can come up with something you'll like, if you know what I mean?" The other students were talking loudly, and the band was busy packing up the instruments. With all the commotion, Ianto was pretty sure that nobody else had heard Jack's words, but he didn't dare to reply anyway.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Planning for sectionals**

Sectionals was coming up shortly and Sam Winchester felt totally abandoned by his friends. His plan to get closer to Jo by getting Dean to join Glee-club, had totally backfired as well. For the last few days he had barely seen any of them.

Between school, football practice and rehearsals, Dean had been too busy to spend much time with his brother. Kevin had decided to pick up the cello again, and he also went to vocal training two days a week, so he hadn't really had time for friends lately either.

Sam was still having lunch with him and Jo every day, but with Garth and Gwen at the same table the four of them had pretty much only talked about the upcoming competition, making Sam feel a little ignored.

A few years ago, John Winchester had come into some money and he'd told the boys that they could go out and get something expensive for themselves. Sam hadn't even hesitated when he picked a laptop, while Dean had headed to the music store and bought a guitar.

Ever so often, Mr Winchester had a little bit extra, and could provide the boys with an upgrade for their toys. Sam had always chosen to go for a new computer, while Dean focused on the music.

It was never a problem. Dean practiced and learned to play the guitar flawlessly, and Sam started to get a real hang on programming. They shared their progress with each other. Sam found new songs online for Dean to play, and he always enjoyed the little performances his brother put together when they were alone.

Sam had never had any problem finding friends at the different schools they attended over the years. There was always a computer geek or two that he could hang out with. When they were younger it wasn't much of a problem for Dean either, but as soon as he started high school, he became moody and sometimes even a little hostile.

It was a good thing that his brother was trying to change his ways when they came to Lima, but at the moment Sam felt that he'd lost him somewhat.

Sam didn't feel comfortable when he was alone in the apartment, but Dean had dropped him off after school and taken the car to go to a friends house to rehearse. Walking the streets alone in this neighborhood wasn't an option.

There was nothing on TV and all homework was done, so Sam browsed the internet for something to watch. It was almost a little creepy when that ad came up. 'Learn to sing!' He'd seen it so many times that closing it was part of his daily routine, but this time he opened the link.

"Breathing exercises?" Sam shook his head as he skimmed through the first few paragraphs. "Finding your range." He wasn't totally tone deaf and tried a few scales just for fun. It sounded horrible, and he wondered if the neighbors would think that they had a dying moose in the house.

He threw a sideways look at Dean's guitar before he typed a few words into the search engine. Maybe it would be easier to learn to play an instrument? Sam knew a couple of chords; Dean had tried to teach him, so he grabbed the guitar and tried the first song on the list.

"Hang down your head Tom Dooley

Hang down your head and and cry…"

It was kind of pathetic. "Hang down your head Sam Winchester, poor boy you're gonna be lonely for the rest of your life." He practically spat the words out as he put the guitar back.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They were going to do the Evanescence number for sectional, and Gwen was ecstatic about it. "It was our song, we picked it." Jo brought her to the ground by claiming that it was initially her suggestion, but it didn't throw Ianto's cousin off much. "I know, but we did that song together so well that he picked it up for the competition."

Ianto wasn't sure if any of them would actually be singing the lead; Jo sang it really well, but for the female part he would have picked Jane in a heartbeat. Gwen wasn't really good enough, although she had improved significantly lately. He was pretty sure that he would be bumped down to do the choir, but he hoped that John would be considered for the male lead vocals.

"We need a good solo and a big show number. I have a couple of ideas, but I want you all to think about it and give me suggestions." Mr Evans addressed them as they sat down. "Be bold. I want something out of the ordinary. I want something they have never heard from a school show choir before."

Ianto threw a peek at Jack. That guy had been out and about, and he'd been doing show tunes for a living. Not much of a living according to the rumors, but still, he should be able to come up with something.

Everybody in Glee-club were starting to become friends. Even Dean had managed to change his way, and he shared his time between the football guys and the choir. He got a little bit of lip from his teammates to begin with, but after giving them a piece of his mind reminding them that he was in top three among those who had scored any points during games, they kind of stopped. They were still mocking him a little, but from Ianto's point of view it sounded more like just friendly teasing.

During lunch, all the seniors in Glee sat together for the most part. Gwen hung out with Jo and her friend ever so often, while Ianto usually stuck with his own classmates. Charlie was a little fleeting. She was a busy girl, and didn't really have time for chit chat over the lunch table. When she was not too busy with all her extracurriculars, she seemed to prefer to hang out with Ianto and Castiel. The three of them were in English and Spanish together, so they knew each other quite well from class as well as from the choir room.

Outside of school, it was a little different. Ianto and John still spent a lot of time together, and Gwen usually joined them. She was much more outgoing than Ianto ever was, and had made a busload of new friends since she came. Sometimes it resulted in overcrowding in Ianto's room and they had to withdraw to the basement where they had an extra living room. Down there they didn't have a TV and the sound system was crappy, but it didn't matter.

Jo was a frequent guest, but apart from her both Jane and the twins had been there on several occasions. Gwen had also invited a few students that were not in Glee-club, but they had never returned for a second visit. Ianto could easily understand that. The get-togethers in the Jones house could be quite intimidating if you didn't sing or play an instrument.

No matter what the plan for the evening was, it always ended up with a lot of singing, and not much talk.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean was driving home after a strange but interesting evening. He felt bad for leaving Sam alone for so long without any chance to get anywhere, but he was sure that his brother would be happy that he'd made a friend.

It wasn't that he didn't have any before; the guys on the football team were his friends, and he'd started to consider most of the Glee-club his friends as well, but he never really hung out with them after school.

When he joined the club, it was mainly because he liked to sing, but he had a second agenda. He wanted to make good memories, and he wanted to be liked. It wasn't easy. Dean knew that it was mostly his own fault. He'd tried to be like the lone ranger, singing his way into their hearts without losing face.

He had even thought that he could swoop in and go for the male lead, but after hearing Jack perform, he knew he didn't have a chance. It was a little disappointing, but after getting to know the guy Dean didn't mind.

Both of them were older than the rest of the group, and they had also had some of the same struggles in their lives. That the reasons for their problems were a little different didn't matter. They both knew how it was to go to bed hungry, and they also knew how it felt to not even have a bed to sleep in.

Dean had been in this situation for years, while Jack had only had ten months of struggle. It didn't change the fact that they seemed to bond over it.

When Jack invited him over to his place to try to come up with a number for sectionals, Dean had been a little wary. He was pretty sure that the guy was as queer as a three dollar bill, and wondered if he could have misinterpreted Dean's friendliness.

He did like boys; it had been a few years since he had admitted that to himself, but Jack wasn't really his type. Not that he knew so well what his type was really; he had never even so much as flirted with someone of the same sex, so it was more due to a gut feeling.

Dean decided to go regardless. If it was a come-on, he would deal with it. If Jack invited him to get into his pants, he'd handle it one way or another. He could always use the experience, but he wasn't sure if he'd go there.

Jack's room was not what he'd expected it to be, It was a whole lot of pink, and the walls were covered - okay not totally covered but close - with pictures of Barbra Streisand.

"Sorry, It's not my own decor. This is Rachel's room." Jack slumped down on the bed as he threw his hand out. "I didn't want to mess it up. I'm a houseguest, I have to deal with it." He shrugged a little. "I have another room where I sleep, but this one is bigger and Rachel told me I could use it when I have friends over." He nodded towards the sound system. "This room is also the best one for rehearsals. She grew up singing show tunes, and all the equipment is still here."

Dean had briefly heard about Rachel Berry before he came to Lima, but he soon learned that she was some kind of local hero. Even some of the guys on the football team seemed to worship her, and Dean felt that he should probably be in awe as he looked around in her room, but he was quite unfazed. For him, she was just a former student with a chance of a career on Broadway. He was actually more intrigued by the fact that she had two dads.

They obviously thought that Dean and Jack had a thing, and Jack didn't do anything to contradict them. "Don't worry about it. They think that I don't have any friends because I never invite anyone over. You are my first visitor since I came to live here." Jack shrugged as he picked up a laptop. "I'm just, erm, it's just awkward having people over when I myself am a guest in this house."

Dean could understand that; he and Sam had had to stay with strangers on occasions, and even if some of them were very nice and did their best to make them feel welcomed, it wasn't like home. He didn't share that information with Jack. Dean didn't want the guy to know too much about his crappy life.

The evening had been nice, and Dean soon realized that he had nothing to worry about regarding any advances from Jack. It was partly a little disappointing, but he was mostly happy about it. Jack was too much of an alpha male for Dean's taste anyway. He still had to admit that the guy was very handsome and sexy, and he didn't know what he would have done if he'd actually come on to him.

They spent the evening going through Jack's playlists, and Dean got introduced to music that he hadn't payed much attention to before. Arias and showtunes was not what he listened to on a regular basis, but he knew he had to learn, so he tried to follow Jack's lead as they sang their way through the lists.

Dean had been eavesdropping outside the choir room when Garth sang 'You'll never walk alone', and even if his voice cracked a little at the end, it was a good performance. When Jack suddenly started to sing that song acapella as he scrolled down on the screen in search for something else, Dean understood that Jack was in a whole different league. It was amazing, and he almost - just almost - fell for the guy.

Jack didn't finish the song, and Dean got a little disappointed. He could have listened to that voice for a long time without being bored. "This one. This one could be it. Mr Evans wanted a powerful solo, and I want to try this." Jack stood up before he hit the play-button. "Join in if you can."

"I don't know where I'm goin'

But I sure know where I've been

Hanging on the promises in songs of yesterday…"

Dean almost didn't recognize the song the way Jack sang it. His clean, pure, voice was so different from the more raspy one of David Coverdale. The background music was also barely audible so he could almost only hear the Jack's vocals.

When the whole band joined in, Dean was ready to jump in on the chorus. He knew this song well, and he could even play it on the guitar. He wished that he'd had brought it.

"Here I go again on my own

Goin' down the only road I've ever known

Like a drifter I was born to walk alone

An' I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time…"

Jack had stepped onto the bed and it was almost a little funny to see him rock it out. Dean had not expected this from the guy.

"...Here I go again, here I go again…"

They both whooped and cheered when the performance was over. Dean wasn't quite sure if this was what Mr Evans was thinking about when he wanted a powerful solo, but it was good; really good.

When Dean revealed that he could play it on the guitar, Jack was even more eager to sell it to their director. "Coverdale and Marsden. We can do this together."

It was a bonding moment. They had both been on their own. Dean had a younger brother to take care of, but the two of them had been out there struggling to make a life for themselves.


	10. Competition

They are all trying to get their number into sectionals, but after a small power struggle, Sam Evans announce what he wants them to do. Not everybody is happy about his choices.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Sisters are doin' it for themselves - Eurythmics/Aretha Franklin - M/L: Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart**

**Do you hear the people sing - from Les Miserables - M: Claude-Michel Schönberg, L: (english) Herbert Kretzmer**

**Everything is awesome - from The Lego Movie - M/L: Shawn Patterson, Joshua Bartholomew, Lisa Harriton, The Lonely Island.**

**Multiple songs mentioned**

* * *

**Fighting for power**

The performance that Dean and Jack gave at their next rehearsal left a bad taste in Ianto's mouth. The two of them acted like they were a couple the way they rubbed their backs against each other on the chorus. Dean looked so handsome with his guitar when he leaned into Jack as they both sang into the same microphone.

They had asked if they could do it in the auditorium, and since it was vacant, Mr Evans had let them.

It was excellent. Ianto had to admit that the two of them together were a real power couple, and it was hard for him to realize that he didn't like it. He did his best to hide his feelings because he was pretty sure that Jack was so out of his league anyway. The guy was flirting left and right, and had a tail of both guys and girls trying to get to him.

It wasn't that he had fallen in love, but Jack had stirred something in him that he would have wanted to explore if he'd only had the guts.

"Now there was a time when they used to say

That behind every great man there had to be a great woman…"

Ianto was totally thrown off his train of thoughts as Jane started singing. It didn't take long before Unique entered the stage as well.

"Now in these times of change, you know that it's no longer true

So we're comin' out of the kitchen

'Cause there's somethin' we forgot to say to you…"

It was obviously a collaboration between the the girls, because when they hit the chorus, Gwen, Jo, Charlie, and Madison joined in. The two lead singers did a spectacular performance, and Ianto knew that Jack and Dean would have competition in their attempt to get their number into sectionals.

In his mind he preferred the Whitesnake song, but he was all for knocking Jack down a few notches.

"I said, 'Sisters are doin' it for themselves'

Standin' on their own two feet

And ringin' on their own bells

Sisters are doin' it for themselves

Sisters are doin' it for themselves…"

The girls received standing ovations, but Ianto could see that Jack and Dean exchanged a worried glance as they cheered along with the rest of the boys.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"You want something unexpected." Garth entered the stage after everybody had calmed down. "I have a suggestion for a big choir number that nobody is going to expect. I'm pretty sure most of you know this song already, but I have the lyrics here if you need them."

He handed out a sheet of paper to the few students that were still on stage, and then he urged the rest of them to come up. The band was obviously prepared for what was coming, and the drummer started to hit the beat.

Garth stepped up to the center of the stage. "I know I'm not going to be the lead on this one, but please…" He drew his breath heavily before he started.

"Do you hear the people sing?

Singing a song of angry men?

It is the music of a people

Who will not be slaves again!..."

The rest of the Glee-club joined in one by one. Sam Winchester was sitting in the back listening. He was pretty sure that his brother didn't know this song. He had tried to get him to see 'Le Mis', but Dean had not been interested at all.

"...When the beating of your heart

Echoes the beating of the drums

There is a life about to start

When tomorrow comes!"

He could see that his brother tried to follow, and he managed somewhat. A couple of the others seemed a little unfamiliar with the song as well, while a some of them had tossed the lyrics sheet to the side already as they sang along.

"Will you give all you can give

So that our banner may advance

Some will fall and some will live…"

Sam couldn't imagine that the choir would do this song at sectionals, but it was very nice to listen to them. He could see that their director was rubbing his cheeks, and he didn't look convinced either. There was a little smile tugging his lips though as he used his other hand to hit the beat on his thigh.

"When the beating of your heart

Echoes the beating of the drums

There is a life about to start

When tomorrow comes."

Every single one of them sang the last few lines without even looking at the lyrics. Even Dean had lowered his hand, and he seemed very confident at the end.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Can any of you rap?" Sam threw out the question as soon as everybody was seated. Most of the crowd reacted as if he'd asked them to strip or do anything else that was totally off the cuff. Only Garth seemed pleased, and he waved his hand in the air eagerly. There was also a small smile on Charlie's face, and she nodded reluctantly as she peeked from side to side under her lashes.

"Well. I have made my decision on what to do for sectionals, but one of the songs has a short rap sequence." He drew his breath. "I'm not sure that will be your biggest problem with this number." He chuckled a little when he panned all the grave faces in front of him. Garth had lowered his hand, but he was now the only one who looked eager to know what Sam had come up with. Charlie's smile had vanished and the rest of them actually seemed a little scared.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you can do it. Garth and Charlie. You two will have to show off your skills before I make the final decision. If the two of you can stay behind after rehearsal today, it would be great."

Charlie and Garth exchanged a quick glance, while the rest of the Glee-club threw a brief look at them before they turned to Sam again. "What are you planning, just tell us please." "Rapping! Seriously!" Unique and John spoke simultaneously. He wasn't surprised that those two reacted first, but Sam waved them both off. "I need to know that the two of them can do it." He nodded towards Garth and Charlie. Then I will tell you."

They all looked a little bummed, but none of them commented on it.

"We will do the Evanescence number, but not with the original cast." He turned to Gwen as he drew his breath. "I'm sorry girl. You have improved a lot, but I have to give your part to somebody else."

Gwen didn't seem surprised. "I know. I understand. I'm just happy that I did it well enough for you to pick it." Sam was happy that she took it so well. "Jane will sing that part along with Jo." Jane hit the air with her fist and Sam could hear a faint 'yeah' from the girl. Jo seemed to hold her breath for a second, but didn't say anything.

"For the male part I want to keep both Ianto and John." The two boy were sitting together in the front, and Sam looked at them both. John nodded slowly and smiled a little while Ianto looked utterly surprised. "Really! I mean. Really?" For a moment he was just staring into the air with his mouth open before he turned to John and smiled widely. Surprisingly enough, John looked a little shy before the two boys hugged it out. "Great. That's great. We did it." John was back to his normal, confident self as he patted Ianto's back after the embrace.

"The number has to be excellent, so the four of you have to find time to rehearse together. Can you do that?" Without even looking at each other, they all nodded. "We can do it at my place." Ianto turned to Jane and Jo.

"I wanted a solo, and I'm sorry girls, but what you gave me last week was not what I asked for." Sam felt really bad. Jane and Unique and the rest of the girls had done a great job on their number. "I asked for a surprise, and Jack and Dean gave me one."

He could see that all the girls slumped their heads down for a second, and he expected that at least one of them would challenge him. It didn't happen, and Sam actually got a little disappointed. "We kind of knew." Jane drew her breath heavily. "And I agree. Sorry girls, but I really liked Jack and Dean's performance. It's… It's… What can I say?."

Jack and Dean was sitting too far apart to even shake hands, but Sam could see that the two guys nodded and smiled to each other. "Can you perfect it? Oh, who am I kidding? Of course you can. I want a flawless performance for sectionals, so the two of you have to work with the band to make it happen."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Gwen is planning a party**

"We're going to have a party at our house after sectionals." Gwen came over to the table with her tray, and looked at Jo. "Rhiannon and Johnny are going to Wales for a week with the kids, so we'll have room. My aunt and uncle have okayed it." She squeezed herself in between Kevin and Garth. "They even promised to go out and maybe spend the night at a hotel."

Sam Winchester felt slightly overlooked as she addressed the guys from Glee-club. He knew for sure that he wasn't included. He'd sat down with Jo and Kevin at their usual table, but had soon been crowded by a group from Glee. He knew both Charlie and Garth from Computer club, and both of them had occasionally eaten their lunch there, but he'd never had the pleasure of sharing table with Ianto and John.

He knew all of them from being allowed into the choir room on occasions, but he had never really exchanged a word with them.

"I hope it will be to celebrate a win, or else it will be more like a wake." John rolled his eyes and looked at Ianto. "Alcohol is probably out of the question, so when we lose we just have to sit there without any chance of diving into oblivion."

Gwen laughed out loud before she contained herself and leaned over the table. She panned the crowd and lowered her voice significantly. "Don't you worry. I will get stuff." She bobbed her head. "Give me some money, and I'll make sure that we will have something to drown our sorrows in. Or… if everything works out - something to celebrate with."

She was whispering now, and it was kind of unusual. Sam didn't know that Gwen was even capable of keeping her voice down. "In Britain, the drinking age is eighteen, and my cousin promised to help us out."

Everybody looked at Ianto, but he shook his head. "Don't look at me. She is referring to my sister." He chucked a little. "That's Gwen. She can make miracles happen. I wouldn't even have dared to ask.

Sam was listening to the conversation, knowing that he was not included and it bothered him more than he liked to admit.

"But none of us are eighteen." John dared to say the words, and he got disgruntled stares from the others. Gwen cocked her head as she looked at him. "I know, but I kind of told them that most of the guests are eighteen or close to eighteen, so you better lie out of your teeth if you meet them."

Sam was done eating. He gathered his things and was about to withdraw from the scene. This had nothing to do with him, and he felt sad for not being a part of it. He gave Jo a quick smile and nudged Kevin a little to alert him that he was leaving. There was no point sitting there anymore.

"Can we invite other people?" Kevin grabbed a hold of Sam's sleeve. "Sorry, but Sam is kind of part of the group. He has been there, in the choir room, and he is Dean's brother." After a short hesitation he continued. "And he is my best friend."

Gwen looked up and cocked her head as she stared at Sam for a moment. "Sam, is it? The same as our director's name." She shook her head as she chuckled. "The more the merrier. You are officially invited."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Sectionals**

They were unable to get a bus to take them to sectionals. Mr Evans took the blame, because he had failed to book it. They would have to go there on a regular bus, but there would be no bus to take them back. The school they were going to had offered to provide accommodations for those students who couldn't make it home, but the McKinley kids decided to take matters into their own hands.

"We have to get back. There's a party waiting for us." Gwen took the lead, and did her best to scrape together enough drivers. "Dean will fill up his car, and Jack will do the same." She was standing in the choir room pointing at the two boys. "Who else has a car we can use? We do not want to involve any parents in this, they have to believe that we are stuck." For some of the students, it wouldn't be a problem, but they all knew that a few of them were never going to get permission from their parents to attend the party.

Unique, Mason and John lifted their hands. "That's more than enough. We just have to find out who rides with who." Gwen and Ianto had to be back first, and they all decided that the two of them would sneak out with Dean and leave as soon as possible after the competition was over. "If we win, there will probably be some delays; pictures and stuff, but the rest of you have to cover for us."

Jack promised to leave last and make sure that nobody got left behind. "Check in with me when you go, I need to know." He and Gwen had obviously talked about this before, and the two of them took charge as they discussed the departure. They decided to meet up at the bus-station in Lima, and not tell their parents or their chaperones about this until the last minute.

"So it's settled then." Gwen exhaled audibly. "Thank you guys. We will get back to Lima after this show, and we will party till the early morning hours." She punched the air with her fist just as Mr Evans walked through the door. "What? Is there a party somewhere? I don't think I'm invited."

Gwen looked a little embarrassed, but composed herself quickly. They didn't know how much he'd heard, but Gwen was quick with a white lie. "Yes, well. We are going to have a little get-together on sunday. We kind of want to celebrate us winning, er, sir." Then she looked down for a second before she met Mr Evans' eyes again. "Or mourn our loss."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

All the parents had gotten a letter explaining that the Glee-club would have to stay over night. After Gwen had organized drivers to take them back, Castiel decided not to tell his parents. It was better if they thought he was bunking with his friends in a classroom two and a half hours away instead of knowing that he'd be at party in Lima.

They did offer to come pick him up after sectionals, but he'd insisted that he wanted to stay with the choir. "It will be like a bonding thing. It'll be nice to hang out together. Win or lose, I want to stay with them after the performance."

The pastor was about to say something, but Cas lifted his hand to stop him. "Before you ask. There will be chaperones. We will sleep at the school, so we can't really do anything more bad than to stay up half the night talking and singing."

His family had not been too thrilled when they eventually learned that he was in Glee-club, but they had reluctantly accepted it when Castiel had showed that what he learned there made him an asset to the church choir. The actual vocal training was so-so, but he was more courageous and dared to do a solo ever so often. Everybody knew that he was good enough, but he'd always been a little too shy to take center stage.

"You can call Mr Evans or principal Schuester if you need confirmation." Castiel was pretty sure that the two of them didn't know anything about the carpool, so if his dad wanted to call, it would probably be okay.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The Crawford private school for girls had a small auditorium compared to that at McKinley. The stage was fairly big, but didn't have much room backstage. When one choir performed the next in line had to either sit among the audience or be stuck in a sort of 'green-room' a floor down. With fourteen students, a band, and their three chaperones it would be way too crowded, so the New Directions opted to stay in their seats until it was their turn.

They wouldn't get a chance to have a last minute pep-talk, but Mr Evans' confidence in them helped a lot.

The hosting school was up first. It was an all girl choir, and they were going for an all girl theme this year.

Everybody from McKinley sighed in unison when the girls started. Their rendition of 'Sisters are doing it for themselves' was way better than the one they had done. They followed up with a daring number from Pussycat Dolls. 'I don't need a man', had six of the girls in skimpy outfits doing suggestional movements as they sang.

There was a cat call or two from some of the male audience, but they quieted down when the choir's director stood up and stared at them.

They ended their performance with 'Stronger' by Britney Spears. The choir arrangement of the song was well done, and the thirteen girls gave it their best.

The New Warblers were up next. Sam Evans had told them what had happened with the choir at their school, and he wasn't too concerned about the competition from them. "They are all new. Most of them are freshmen or sophomores."

"We are new too." Jo whispered a little nervously as the guys entered the stage. "They can still be better than us." There wasn't much time for Mr Evans to reply before the music started. "We have a couple of aces up our sleeve." He didn't explain, but for the kids in New Directions it was kind of comforting.

That was until the whole choir was standing in front of them. There was at least twenty five students up there, and when they started to sing their voices filled the auditorium on a different scale than the girl choir managed to do. "Freshmen and sophomores? I think not." Jo's voice was barely audible, but Mr Evans obviously picked up on it. "My bad. I didn't do my research properly."

Their 'Just a gigolo/I ain't got nobody' number was excellently delivered. They followed up with 'Somebody to love' by Queen, and ended their performance with a soft ballad from Robbie Williams, 'She's the one'.

Thurston High school had nothing. Their director came up and explained that the choir at their school started rehearsing two weeks ago, and that they entered the competition just to learn. They sang only two songs, and in spite of the poor rendition of 'Let it go' from Frozen, and an even worse 'The prayer', they got massive applause from the audience.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

He didn't know if it was a good thing going last. He didn't know if it was a good thing going after the tragic performance of the Glee-club from Thurston. John was extremely nervous as they gathered together back stage only minutes before they had to get on.

Mr Evans didn't seem half as confident as he was before the whole thing started, and it was quite disconcerting. The New Warblers had raised the bar significantly, and everybody knew that they had to do their very best to match them.

The Evanescence number got a very good reception, although John had been beside himself through the whole thing. He did his part practically on autopilot, and he was happy that he and Ianto had been so thorough when they rehearsed it together for the fiftieth time last night.

Dean and Jack didn't look nervous at all. Well, there was a small problem with the cord to Dean's guitar, and it made the guy a little flustered for a second, but the two of them did their song flawlessly as soon as it was sorted.

They had all worked together building the props for their final number. Blocks of colored styrofoam were cut and shaped into oversized Legos. John had been so against doing this song, but he had been outvoted when the decision was made. The rest of his team had found it hilarious, and they looked forward to dance around with those colorful thingies.

The twins were doing the lead vocals; something John also found disturbing. They had singers that were better than them, but he didn't complain as long as he could be in the background.

"Everything is Awesome,

Everything is cool when you're part of a team

Everything is Awesome when you're living out a dreams…"

He felt like a complete idiot standing between the guitarist and the bassist waving with a big blue piece of styrofoam. Dean had put his own block down, and was pretending to sit on it as he sang.

The lyrics were kind of cool, but John couldn't understand why they needed the props. Even if the song was from the Lego movie they could still have found a better way to show it off.

"I just heard the news

Everyone's talking: Life is good!

'Cause everything's awesome

Awesome jobs and new opportunity…"

Garth and Charlie did their part very well, but it didn't take away John's discomfort. Those Warblers had been too good, and no matter what, New Directions wouldn't stand a chance. He was pretty sure about that. Getting wasted tonight at Gwen and Ianto's party was probably the only thing to look forward to.

"Everything is Awesome,

Everything is cool when you're part of a team

Everything is Awesome when you're living out a dreams."

It was kind of cool that the audience joined in on the last few lines, but it didn't calm John down completely.


	11. Connections

None of the students in New Directions expected to win, and were more busy planning their escape. They all make it to the party, and new connections are made. Also one that includes a fist connecting with a jaw.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Mr Raffles - Steve Harley and the Cockney Rebel - M/L: Steve Harley**

**Poison - Alice Cooper - M/L: Cooper, Desmond Child, John McCurry**

**Another Brick in the Wall - Pink Floyd - M/L: Roger Waters**

* * *

11 **...and the winner is...**

Thurston came in fourth, but everybody kind of knew that. As the judges were about to announce the runner-up, the New Directions joined hands as best as they could. They were bunched together in the back, and everybody just grabbed the nearest hand. Ianto was quite excited to know that he was clenching Jack's hand in his, but he knew that the guy was also holding on to Dean's arm.

John had his arm firmly placed around Ianto's waist as they waited patiently for the verdict.

"The runner-up is…" 'Drumroll' "New Directions. And the winner of this years sectionals are the New Warblers."

The band played 'Just a gigolo' in the background as the boys received the trophy.

Ianto didn't know that he'd be so bummed about it. He never really thought they'd win, so he hadn't gotten his hopes up, but they were so close. 'Runner-up' didn't mean much more than that they didn't suck. Going to regionals was now out of reach, unless the Warblers died and their school got burnt to the ground.

Even if all that happened, a few surviving members would still be eligible to attend regionals unless they decided to forfeit.

It sucked. It really sucked, but they were prepared for this. They didn't expected to win. They had hopes, but the party was planned with a loss in mind. Ianto decided to do his very best to keep the spirit up. There would be other competitions. None as important as this, but there would still be something to strive for.

He gave Jack's hand a quick squeeze before he let go of it. He wasn't even sure if the guy knew which hand he was holding, so it wasn't too much of a dare.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack had gotten the unpleasant task of telling Mr Evans that they weren't going to stay. He hadn't been too discouraged by it; there were signs to suggest that both the director and the principal knew that something was up. Gwen, Ianto, and Dean snuck out of there and went for the car before anyone could stop them.

As they pulled out of the parking-lot, John came running. He dived in front of the car, forcing Dean to hit the brakes hard. "Are you crazy? So we lost, but you don't have to go out and try to kill yourself." Dean practically screamed as he leaned out the window.

John waved him off. "Sorry. Can I ride with you?" He didn't wait for an answer before he opened the door and jumped into the back seat. "Hiya, Ianto. You don't mind?"

They could hear a grunt from Dean as he revved the engine. "I guess you'll ride with us then, moron." He hadn't even gotten the car in gear before another character stepped in front of it. "What? Are you all idiots?" He was about to shout at the student, but for some reason he mellowed when the beam from the headlights revealed that it was Cas. Before Dean got a chance to yell, Cas was leaning over and looked into the car. "Is there room for me too?"

Dean rolled his eyes, but gave the guy a crooked smile. "Sure, but this is it. If anyone else steps in front of the car, I'll run them down."

On a bus, it would have taken more than two and a half hours to get back. With a car, it had taken them a little less than two hours to get there, but Dean was determined to make it back even faster. There wasn't much traffic on the road on Saturday evening, so as soon as he hit the highway he sped up.

None of the passengers had said much during the first few minutes, but then the silence was broken by three different ringtones. Gwen and Ianto reached for their phones, while Dean just threw a peek at his. It was from Jack, and he gestured for Gwen to answer it. She was already talking on her own phone, and hurried to put Dean's on speaker.

"We can't find John and Castiel." Jack sounded concerned, but then they could hear him talking to somebody else. Gwen hung up her phone and whispered. "Jo. She told me the same." Ianto leaned over. "And Kevin." He had also hung up before both him and Gwen looked at the two other passengers. "You didn't tell him that you would leave with us?"

John and Castiel looked at each other before John cleared his throat. "I'm so sorry Jack, we didn't know if we could catch up with Dean, and when we did we completely forgot." He threw a quick peek at Cas, and the guy shrugged a little. "Yeah, it's true. I'm so sorry."

It took a few moments before Jack said anything. "Okay. I guess it's okay, but I'm not sure the rest of us can forgive you easily. We have searched for you for a while."

Gwen scoffed before she chuckled a little. "Oh, come on. We've been gone for less than ten minutes, and you probably didn't start worrying at first. My guess is that you called as soon as you discovered that they were gone, and you haven't been searching much at all."

Jack hung up on them, and shortly after Gwen got a text message. They all got a laugh when she read it out loud in the car. "You're right Welshie, but we're still a little pissed."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto's parents had left when they came to the house. There was a note on the kitchen table urging them to be careful and don't drink too much. In a PS, Ianto's dad had added a death threat if they trashed the house.

A few bags of chips and nuts were piled up on the counter, and they had also left two twenty dollar bills attached to a couple of pizza coupons.

Ianto and Gwen had moved Ianto's stereo-system and instruments to the basement the day before, and the small fridge down there were packed full of beers and wine coolers. There were also a few cans of Redbull and a couple of bottles of Coke.

"...twenty four, twenty five, hm, by two, and then the three six packs of Smirnoff ice… Yeah right." John grabbed one of the beers and twisted it open after counting the stash. "If they are afraid that we'll drink to much, they can relax. This is hardly enough for the four of us." It was a small exaggeration, but Ianto kind of agreed with him.

"Is this all you managed to get dear cousin? Some people are going to get very disappointed." He grabbed a beer himself before he turned to Gwen and shook his head. Gwen was busy filling up bowls of chips, but now she turned and cocked her head. "Seriously? What do you think. This is only what your parents know about. Give me a minute."

She finished her task and stuffed the leftovers into a bag that she placed in the corner before she headed up the stairs. "I'll be back soon." It took only a few minutes before she shouted down to get Ianto to help her. On the top of the stairs she handed him two twelve packs of Bud Light while she herself carried three bottles of vodka and one with rum.

"That's more like it." John's face lit up when the two of them came back. "Now, this is a party. Cas? Aren't you having anything."

Ianto had totally forgotten about Castiel. During the ride over, he had been very quiet while the rest of the occupants of the car had sung through the whole fourth album of Led Zeppelin. Dean had cranked up the volume on the car-stereo as he drove fast to get them back to Lima as soon as possible.

As soon as they arrived, Dean took off to get his brother whom Gwen had invited on a whim. They all knew him a little bit, so it was okay.

Castiel was sifting through the CDs that were stacked randomly on the floor next to the stereo, but now he turned briefly. "I don't… I have never… I don't really like beer, but don't worry about it." He had obviously been in the bathroom and changed, and was wearing very tight fitting jeans and a black t-shirt. The rest of them were still wearing the outfits they used for the show, and Ianto threw a peek down at himself. "Hey, John, maybe we should change as well. What do you think?"

For the Lego-number they all had to wear colorful clothes, and Ianto didn't feel very comfortable in his bright blue blazer and the red pants. John shrugged. He also had red pants, and the green jacket was hanging over a chair. "I'm fine." He stroked the front of his yellow and black checkered shirt. "I like colors."

Gwen didn't bother changing either. It had been optional for the girls to wear a dress, but she didn't, unless that long, hot-pink t-shirt counted as such. With the black leggings that she wore on a regular basis anyway, she looked fine.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Party time**

"Man, show me something I've never seen

You're only real in your dream machine

And all your games a little drastic

Just throw me out if I get obscene

But that's the way that I've always been

I think I know for certain…"

Steve Harley's slightly hoarse voice came from the speakers. Sam had never even hear of the guy and his band before tonight, but Ianto had been determined to teach them all a little about British music. In Sam's opinion they had gotten more than enough.

"...We're having a party

Ooh-ooh, we're having a party…"

As the song faded out, he hoped that somebody else would step up and pick music because this was too boring. Sam wanted a little more beat, and maybe a chorus that even he could sing along to.

He could have picked something himself, but he tried to stay in the background and be invisible. Dean and he had scraped together a few dollars for booze, so he knew he was welcome to drink whatever he wanted, but he wasn't too experienced and didn't want to make a fool of himself, so he took it slow.

When Dean came to pick him up a couple of hours ago, he'd been a little bummed about the loss, but he admitted that he had never believed in a win anyway. It still sucked, and as the rest of the members of the Glee-club came to the party, they didn't look very happy.

Gwen, Unique and Jack did their best to liven-up the mood, and after a couple of drinks it seemed to work. Ianto's odd song choices was now threatening to turn the party into a wake, so it was about time to change the tune.

Sam tried to make eye contact with Jo, but she was fluttering about like a butterfly, so it wasn't that easy. Sam also wanted to keep an eye on his brother to make sure that he wouldn't get into any fights. He'd experienced Dean drunk before, and he could be very argumentative and obnoxious.

Jane hung onto Jack like flypaper. Sam found it somewhat humorous because he was pretty sure that the guy played for the other team. John was openly flirting with almost everybody in there. At the moment he seemed to be busy chatting up the blue eyed boy Castiel, but he didn't really put his heart into it. The looks he sent Ianto gave Sam the impression that the guy was on a specific mission.

Dean hung around Jack for a little while, but then he and Garth got into a serious conversation. The gestures they made suggested that the two of them were talking about fishing and hunting, and Sam understood. Back in the days, their father had taken Dean hunting on a couple of occasions. Sam had been too young and had to stay with uncle Bobby. It didn't happen very often, and eventually it ceased completely. Dean was barely a teen back then, but he still talked about it as if it was the few most precious moments in life.

There weren't really any serious smokers among them, but Sam noticed that Mason, Madison and Charlie snuck out for a while. When they came back they all smelled of cigarettes, but nobody seemed to be bothered by it.

When John ascended the stairs, Sam was pretty sure that the guy was going on a smoke break. The bathroom in the basement was vacant, so he wouldn't have to go up to use another toilet. A few minutes later Castiel ran upstairs, and that was little more surprising. The guy had barely even had a drink as far as Sam knew. According to Dean, the guy was 'the son of a preacher man', to use his brother's words. Sam didn't really care, but he noticed that Jack, Ianto and Dean followed him with their eyes for a second, before they all went back to the conversations they were in at the moment.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Oh, it's you Choirboy." John had obviously gotten a little startled when Cas came out, but now he relaxed and sat down on the stoop. Cas scoffed a little. "Don't call me that. Technically we are all choirboys… and girls."

John turned and smiled at him. "Yeah, but you are the real thing. I mean…" He threw his hands out and shrugged but didn't continue. He took a drag from the homemade and obviously illicit cigarette before he turned to Cas again. "I'm sorry if I led you on. If you're here for me you got it all wrong."

Cas looked a john and smiled a little. He knew that the guy had been flirting with him, but he was flirting with everybiódy in sight, so Castiel had not taken it personally. "No. I didn't come here because of you. I just needed a moment."

After a short hesitation, John drew his breath heavily. "I'm in love. I think I am anyway, but I've screwed it up. I'm in the friends zone now,"

Castiel got interested. "Someone I know? Someone in there?" He nodded towards the house and received a small nod from John. He took another drag from the joint. After inhaling deeply, he slowly let the smoke out through his nostrils.

"You want?." He lifted his hand towards Castiel. "It's very mild." Cas scrunched his nose and was about to decline, when John urged him. "Come on. Live a little." He practically pushed the joint towards Castiel's lips. "Oh, okay. But only one quick hit."

There was a burn down his throat that he'd never felt before. Within a split second he coughed so hard that he was sure he was going to lose a lung. Tears were practically pouring out of his eyes, but he could see the little smirk on John's face.

John patted his back. "It'll get easier." At the moment Cas was pretty sure that he would never do that again, but he didn't really want to talk about it. Instead he changed the subject. "Who is it? Who do you have a crush on?" He was curious, and he suspected that John had given him the joint just to throw him off, but he wouldn't let the guy get away with it.

He had an idea. He was pretty sure that John flirting with the girls was just a show off. The guy was obviously gay. "It's Jack isn't it?" He hadn't even finished the sentence before John flipped his head around and looked at him dumbfounded. "NO! Why would you think that? I mean… he's hot, and I would…" For a moment he looked a little embarrassed, but then he turned to look directly at Cas. "You like him. _Do_ you like him?"

Castiel couldn't even imagine being with someone like Jack, and he had never even considered it. He was also not ready to come out of the closet yet. He was still regretting telling Unique, and he hoped that she would keep his secret even if she'd had a few drinks. "Eh, No. I like Jack, but not that way, I'm not... He is a good guy, but I'm not into… I…" He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want John to know either. "No, I don't like Jack that way, but do you?"

John bobbed his head from side to side. "Well yeah, I kinda do, but I'm not in love with him." He snuffed out the cigarette against the wall before he got up. "If I tell you it'll be real, and I know I've screwed it up already."

He leaned into Cas and embraced him. "You are a good guy, and I think you have more integrity than most people, but I can't tell you. Maybe later, maybe I need to confide in you at one point." He took a step back and looked into Castiel's eyes. "Can I trust you to be my confidante?"

Castiel cocked his head. Then he reached his hand out and patted John's shoulder. "Sure. Your secrets will be safe with me. Whenever you need to talk, I'll be there for you."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"...I want to love you but I better not touch (don't touch)

I want to hold you, but my senses tell me to stop

I want to kiss you but I want it too much (too much)

I want to taste you but your lips are venomous poison

You're poison, running through my veins

Poison…"

Ianto and Dean were standing back to back with a guitar each. They seemed to have found a common ground with the heavy metal music. Unique knew them both well enough to be sure that none of them were really big fans of Alice Cooper, but the two of them were obviously familiar with that particular song.

Kevin did a decent job on the keyboard, although it wasn't really his instrument. Garth kept the beat by hitting the table with two wooden spoons. He was stomping his foot as if he had a bass drum underneath there, and occasionally he tapped the spoons against the half empty vodka bottle sitting on the table.

Gwen, Jo, and Madison were trying to move in sync as they joined in on the chorus, but it wasn't easy. Jo was very drunk, and the two other girls had to practically hold her up as they sang.

Unique decided to do some damage control before the girl collapsed completely, and managed to get Jo out of Gwen and Madison's grip. It was a good thing that she was a little on the heavy side because as soon as the other two girls let go of Jo, the girl fell forward into Unique's arm. A smaller person would possibly have been knocked over, even if Jo was a tiny little thing.

Unique had to take a step back and crashed into someone behind her. Looking back briefly, she discovered that it was Dean's younger brother. He was tall and very handsome for a fifteen year old. His broad shoulders and deep voice suggested that he was older, but she knew it wasn't so.

He helped her get Jo over to the couch, and it took only moments before the girl passed out. Garth got a little annoyed because he got a little thrown off when Jo tipped over and leaned against his shoulder.

"...Poison

Runnin' deep inside my veins

Burnin' deep inside my brain

Poison

And I don't want to break these chains

Poison…"

The others kept playing and singing and seemed oblivious to the little incident. The only one who reacted was Ianto. He wasn't completely steady on his feet, but he came over and nodded towards the stairs. "We should get her out of here. She can sleep it off in Gwen's room if you help me get her there."

Unique nodded and was about to grab her, when Sammy pushed her away gently. "I can do it. I'm almost completely sober, and can carry her up." He bent down and wrapped Jo's arm around his neck before he nudged her. "Hey, help out a little. Can you stand?" Jo nodded, although they didn't really know if it was just her bobbing her head, or if it was an actual reply to the question.

When nothing more happened, Sam pushed his arms underneath her and lifted her off the couch. Unique had to swallow hard. It seemed so effortless for him that she got a little flutter in her stomach. Skinny as a toothpick and white as only a fair-skinned nerd could be, Sam was so not her taste, but she had to admit that the way he carried Jo across the floor as if she was a baby, was kind of hot.

"...Poison

poison…"

-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto had to help Sam up the last few steps. It wasn't that Jo was particularly heavy, but she wasn't doing much to hang on, so the guy had a hard time trying to avoid her slipping out of his grip.

Gwen's room was quite small. With the queen size bed and the oversized dresser, the two boys didn't have much standing room as they manouvered Jo onto the bed. Ianto was about to leave immediately when Sam grabbed his sleeve. "Get a bucket. Just… I think it would be a good idea."

Ianto agreed and went to fetch one. When he came back, Sam was sitting on the edge of the bed just looking at the sleeping girl. "I'll sit with her for a while. Just go back down." Sam didn't look at Ianto as he spoke, he just grabbed the bucket out of his hands and placed it on the floor next to the bed.

"Uh, I don't… Why? Why do you want me to leave? You're not going to do… I mean, er…" Ianto didn't know how to proceed. He didn't know this guy that well, and although he seemed nice, he could be a juvenile delinquent for all he knew. This time Sam turned to him as he spoke. "No, I'm not going to touch her. I'm not…" For a moment, he seemed a little annoyed by Ianto's subtle insinuation, but then sighed. "I understand, but trust me, I'm not that kind of guy. I just want to make sure she's okay. I'm not in the Glee-club so I feel a little awkward hanging with you guys. This is something I can do to help a fellow student without feeling out of place."

Ianto nodded as he reached for the doorknob. "Okay, I trust you." He was still a little wary. "If I learn that you're not as honest as I want to believe, I'll kill you." He didn't really mean that, but the words just slipped out.

He was surprised when Sam chuckled. It was without any humor, but it was still a little strange. "Hm. Don't worry about it. If I ever harm any member of the female population, my brother will kill me before you can get to me." He scoffed before he turned back to look at Jo. "And I know this girl a little. She would probably shove a shotgun down my throat and pull the trigger if she suspected any foul play on my part this night."

It was said in a very grave voice, but Ianto couldn't help smiling. He could almost picture the scene in his mind, and he agreed. "Okay. You can watch her, but you better not touch."

The small private little drama upstairs was nothing compared to what met him when he entered the basement again. Ianto could hear them from the moment he stepped out of Gwen's room, and he ran downstairs as fast as he could. The music was cranked up, so until Ianto was halfway down the last flight of stair, he didn't know who was responsible for the commotion.

Almost everybody was on their feet, and for a moment it looked like a mass scuffle between all his friends. As soon as he got a better overview of the situation, Ianto realized that most of them were just trying to stop the fight between Dean and John. The two boys were shouting profanities while they were kept apart by some of the others.

Jane and Mason held onto John for dear life, while Jack did his best to hold Dean back. Madison was clearly trying to get her brother out of it, while Kevin did his best to pull her away. Unique and Gwen were in the middle of the crowd. Unique was obviously trying to mediate, but it was impossible to hear a word she was saying. Gwen on the other hand was just screaming from the top of her lungs, urging everybody to quiet down.

The music was loud as well, so it wasn't easy to really hear what any of them were saying.

"We don't need no education…" The School choir from Pink Floyd's 'Another brick in the wall', filled the room with sound and made the whole scene almost surreal.

Ianto ran over to the stereo and hit the power button. The eerie silence that followed made everybody quiet down for a moment before all hell broke loose again.

With a little help from Garth, Jack managed to push Dean over to the corner and forced him to sit down on the old bean-bag chair. The guy was still cursing up a storm. The names he used for his opponent would all have been bleeped out if this was a tv-show.

It wasn't a show. This was real, and Ianto knew that somebody had to do some damage control.

John had mellowed slightly, fooling Mason and Jane into letting go of him. His nose was bleeding, and the sleeve of his shirt was almost torn off. He breathed heavily with his head slumped down. Gwen was still yelling and it sounded like she was about to break into tears.

"You're ruining the party. My party." She was stomping her feet and acted a little bit like a two year old.

Ianto was about to go over to John to find out what was going on, when the guy charged forward. Jane and Mason were so totally unprepared that they didn't manage to grab a hold of him again. Before anyone could stop him he was over in Dean's corner. The composition of a bean bag chair made it hard for Dean to get up to defend himself, so he was stuck as John clenched his fist and got ready to punch him.

Jack reacted fast and managed to get between them, resulting in him getting a hard punch on his chin. He lost his balance and fell backwards, landing on top of Dean. At that point, Ianto and a few others reached John, and forced him down on the floor.

The doorbell rang causing a everybody to freeze up for a few moments. Gwen paused her tirade mid-sentence and panned the room. The bell rang again, and everybody in the room held their breath. It was two o'clock in the morning, and they weren't really expecting any more guests, so Ianto kind of knew that this had to be bad.

Seconds later they heard banging on the front door. "THIS IS THE POLICE! Open the door!"

This was really bad. Ianto had no idea what to do. "COMING!" Castiel was half way up the stairs shouting. He turned to the others. "Those of you who are sober enough to fool them, should follow me. I'll take care of it, but hurry up."

Ianto wasn't sure if he could fool anybody, but it felt that it was his duty as a host to have Castiel's back. Gwen was clearly in no shape to handle it. Unique and Kevin followed him a little reluctantly, while the rest stayed behind.

Cas took a couple of deep breaths before he unlocked the door and opened it. Ianto noticed that Sam had come down, and he was standing by the stairs with a puzzled expression on his face.

"We got a complaint from neighbors about loud music and general disturbances from this house, do you mind letting us in?" The police officer was throwing a peek over Castiel's shoulder as he addressed him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. We're just a group of friends here, singing and dancing. We didn't think. Please come in, but we promise to keep it down now." He stepped to the side and gestured for the man to enter. The officer took a couple of steps forward and looked at the three teens on the couch. "It's only the four of you?" He turned to Cas. "Are you in charge? Are there any adults in the house?" Then he noticed Sam in the far end of the room. "Sorry. Five?"

Castiel cleared his throat. "Eh, yeah, er, no. It's… he lives here." Cas nodded towards Ianto. "And his cousin is in her room trying to sleep, but I guess…" He shrugged as he put on his most innocent face.

The officer looked at Ianto, and he knew he had to step up. "My parents are out dining, and will be home soon. We expected them earlier, and lost track of time. We're so sorry." He knew he should have gotten up from his seat, but he wasn't sure if he could stand straight. The scare had sobered him up somewhat, but not enough to take that chance.

A small sound from the basement got interrupted by some chatter from a police radio. Ianto could see another police officer on the stoop, but he turned and walked away as he obviously answered a call.

The other one cocked his head and seemed a little suspicious as he panned the room. He had clearly heard the little creak, and was now wondering where it came from. "Gwen is probably curious to what's going on. Tell her that this party is over and she can go to sleep." Again Cas stepped up and gestured for Sam to go upstairs.

"We have a 'B and E' at the Baldwin warehouse." The other officer was at the door again addressing his partner.

After giving them all a piercing stare, the officer inside retracted. "Okay kids. We're gonna trust you, but we will drive by later to make sure you stick with your promise." He looked at Ianto again. "Keep your guests in check, or else we'll have to notify your parents." He gave them a quick smile before he was out the door.


	12. The aftermath

The party is over, and most of the party guests are leaving the house. Ianto gets a surprise before he falls asleep. Jack is curious about what happened, and Castiel reveals his thoughts on the matter. Sam discovers something about his brother.

* * *

**Song in this chapter**

**Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple - M/L: Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice**

* * *

**Cleanup**

As soon as the door was closed Unique jumped up and ran over to Cas. He was shaking and he had a hard time holding himself up. "You did great. You saved us." She helped him over to the couch before she turned to Sam. The softness in her voice was gone when she addressed him. "You better get your asshole of a brother out of here before he attacks somebody else."

Sam had been standing there quietly during the little police drama. He'd looked a little confused through it all, but now his jaw dropped and his confusion seemed to reach another level. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Nobody really knew what had gotten into Dean when he suddenly and without warning attacked John. Unique kept her voice down as she walked over to Sam. "He is crazy. For no apparent reason, he punched John in the face and the two of them got into a fight before anyone of us could prevent it."

Sam was on his way towards the door to the basement when Unique stopped him. "No. We have to plan how to do this." She turned to the others. "The fight could of course be over by now, but I wouldn't count on it. It'll be easier to keep them apart if they believe that the police are still here."

Castiel had calmed down a little, although he was still a little shook up. "I'll go and get him. I'll tell him that Sam needs him for something." He got up and sighed heavily. "I'm sober, and I think that he'll listen to me."

Both Unique and Sam were about to say something, but Cas lifted his hand to stop them. He wasn't used to being in charge, but he knew that he had to take care of this. "Just… er. Wish me luck."

Dean was still sitting in the bean-bag chair. Jack was hovering over him with a bloody napkin pressed against his mouth. Jane and John were standing in the opposite corner whispering quietly. Garth and Charlie seemed to be sleeping on the couch. The twins was sitting on the floor next to it in a tight embrace while Gwen was pacing back and forth. She stopped abruptly in the middle of the floor when Cas descended the stairs.

Everybody else, except for Garth and Charlie, looked at him as he crossed the floor and walked over to Dean. "Come with me. Your brother needs you." He was not prepared for the impact his words had on Dean. The guy practically sprung to his feet. He'd been unable to get up when John charged for him, but now he got out of that bean bag surprisingly effortlessly.

Castiel noticed that both Jack and John reacted instinctively when Dean was on his feet, but they didn't try to stop him.

As soon as the guy had vanished up the stairs, they all turned to Cas again. "What happened?" Gwen was the first one to say anything. She seemed unusually nervous and somewhat humbled by the unfortunate turn of events. Even if it was Ianto's house, it was technically her party, so Cas could understand that she felt a little responsible.

He told them what the police officer had said, and continued to explain why he asked Dean to get up there. "I think this party is over now. I don't know who's going to spend the night here, but the rest should just leave."

Gwen slumped her head down and sighed. "But we were having fun. Dean was the one who caused problems, and he's leaving now, right?" She looked at Cas as if he had the final word in the matter. He shook his head. "It wasn't the fight that made the neighbors call the police. It was the loud music and the general noise we made."

They could all hear chatter from upstairs, but it was impossible to make anything out of it. The front door slammed shut, and soon after, Ianto and Unique came down. "Sam managed to get Dean out, and he is taking Kevin home." Ianto walked over to Gwen. "Sorry cuz, He's right, we have to call it a night."

Ianto had obviously overheard Castiel's little speech. He looked at the guys who were still awake. "I have no idea who was going to spend the night here, but I guess those two will." He nodded towards the couch where Garth and Charlie were sleeping soundly.

Jack had been to the bathroom to clean off the blood, and he was dabbing at his split lip with a clean napkin. "Most of you shouldn't drive, but I can take you home. I didn't drink much." Mason stood up and helped his sister to her feet. "Thanks, but I can drive myself. I have to get the car back anyway."

Unique didn't take her car because they already had enough drivers, so she took Jack's offer. Jane decided to do the same. She was still standing with John, and now she nudged him to get his attention. "What about you? Are you riding with us?" Then she threw a peek at Jack. "Oh, maybe… You punched him, maybe it's better if you go with the McCarthys?"

John pushed away from the wall and sighed. He looked embarrassed when he addressed Jack. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you, but I don't need a ride." He turned to Ianto. "Unless you've changed your mind." Ianto shrugged. "No, it's okay. You can spend the night."

Through all this, Castiel was contemplating on what to do. He hadn't even thought about the aftermath of his white lies. His parents wouldn't expect him home, and he knew he would get a lot of uncomfortable questions if he showed up in the middle of the night.

"I, I can't go home." He felt like a fool for not seeing this coming. "If it's possible, I'd rather stay, but…" He looked at Ianto. "I don't want to impose myself on you guys, but I can seriously not go home."

Gwen walked over to him and wrapped her arm around his waist. "We'll find room for you." She was a little drunk and had to lean on his shoulder to steady herself. "You didn't leave your sleeping bag in Dean's car did you?" She shrugged and continued before Cas got a chance to answer. "Crash on the floor here. We'll find some cushions or something to make it more comfortable."

"NO, No." Jack came over and practically pushed Gwen away. "You can sleep at my place. You saved us from the police, and you deserve a proper bed."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto had been about to protest when Jack offered to take Castiel home. He was so not prepared for the jealous thoughts that ran through his mind when he pictured the two of them together, and was instantly ready to give up his own bed for Cas.

Knowing that everybody else in there would find the gesture somewhat weird, Ianto decided to keep his mouth shut.

There was no reason to believe that Jack and Castiel had anything going on, so it was probably just a nice gesture. Jack could of course have a hidden agenda, but Cas was innocence personified, and he was obviously just happy to get a place to crash.

Gwen had been busy tidying up a bit, but when the rest of the crowd had left she turned to Ianto. "You and John can finish up down here. He is partially responsible for ruining the party, so he can do his bit." With a disgruntled expression on her face, she'd gathered all the cups and glasses and was on her way up the stairs. "I'll start the dishwasher, you two can take care of the rest."

The first thing Ianto did after Gwen had left was to find a blanket for the two 'sleeping beauties' on the couch. Garth and Charlie was lying with their heads on each end of the couch, while their feet were tangled together in the middle.

Ianto draped the blanket over them and turned to John. "What happened? What happened between you and Dean?" He started to collect the empty bottles from the table as he was waiting for an answer. There were plenty of them, although he had expected it to be more. They would have a lot of leftovers for their next party. If there would ever be a next.

John grabbed the trash-bag Gwen had left for them, and slumped down on the floor. "I don't know. I didn't do anything. I sincerely do not know what got into the guy." He picked up nuts and popcorn and a few pieces of chips from the floor and put it in the bag. "I was sitting over there with Castiel. " He pointed towards the other end of the room. "We were having peaceful conversation... By the way. He's kind of cute, don't you think?"

Ianto was so not interested in hearing about that. He was quite fed up with his friend flirting with anything with a pulse. "Whatever. Get to the point. What happened next?" He pushed the tub with the bottles and cans under the staircase before he turned back to John. The guy had moved, and was now crawling under the table to pick up some more garbage. "Uh, okay. Anyway. We were joking around, and then… WHAM!"

It didn't sound very convincing. "So it was a normal conversation, 'bla-bla-bla', then Dean comes over and punches you? Is that what you're saying happened or are you conveniently omitting something?"

It was quiet for a split second. "Well I, I may have kissed him, but that...uh…" The blush extended down John's bare arm. Ianto didn't even know that the guy had it in him to be embarrassed, so it came as quite a surprise. "You kissed him? Why? Uh, you, oh… The choirboy?" Ianto had to give it another thought, and came to the conclusion that he must have interpreted this wrongly. "You and Cas? That's...not even plausible, is it?"

John shrugged as he got out from under the table. There was still a faint hue of pink on his face. "It wasn't that kind of kiss. It was only on the cheek, and it was my reaction to something he said, but Cas got so startled that he pushed me away. The next thing I knew was that Dean attacked me and punched me." John sighed and sat down on the floor with his legs crossed. "I reacted like any normal human being would have. I defended myself." He cocked his head. "When Jane got between us, Dean managed to grab my shirt and he tore the sleeve off it." He waved his arm where the ripped sleeve was hanging down from the cuff. "There was no good reason for this. My new favorite shirt and all."

John would probably never wear a shirt like that ever again, so Ianto knew it was a joke. He could have found it funny if he wasn't so annoyed with his friend. Not only because that incident was partially to blame for the party ending, but also because of John's seemingly total lack of insight. "You are joking, right? I mean, when you say you didn't know why Dean gave you a bloody nose." He panned the room and decided to leave the rest till morning. "Sorry, but are you in denial, or ar you just plain stupid?"

The two of them grabbed the leftover alcohol and carried upstairs. John didn't say anything until they reached Ianto's room. "I don't think Dean was jealous. Why would he be? Granted, he has that look when he eyes a nice ass, a boy's ass, but he's technically straight, uh?"

That wasn't the point really. Ianto didn't know Dean that well, He sometimes acted like he was God's gift to the female part of the population, but there was something dodgy about the whole guy. It was like he was trying too hard. "Maybe that's true, but… Maybe he felt that he had to protect Cas from you. Castiel is, er, seems so innocent, and you can easily be perceived as a predator."

Ianto was about to leave to use restroom. "I'm not… you really believe that? I would never… It wasn't even a real kiss, for Christ sake." John sounded a little offended, and Ianto turned to him. "I trust you, don't worry about what I think, but Dean doesn't know you as well as I do." He didn't want to discuss this anymore. Castiel was not his responsibility, and he couldn't care less about Dean, so he left the room without elaborating anymore.

He dived straight into bed when he came back while John went to brush his teeth.

They had slept together in this bed a few times. Except for that first night, there had never been any accidental cuddling, so it came as a surprise when John eased himself close to Ianto's back and wrapped an arm around him. "What are you doing?" Ianto was too tired to really do anything about it, but he wondered.

A soft kiss on his neck gave him shivers down his spine. "John, don't." This was just not right. A perfectly good friendship could go down the drain if he let this happen. John's hand started to wander down Ianto's chest as the guy scooted even closer. Ianto was about to stop that hand before it was too late, but another kiss threw him completely off task. He couldn't help hitching his breath when his dick reacted instantaneously.

He should probably say something. He should stop this before it went too far. Ianto held his breath contemplating on what to do, when John's hand came to rest just above the waistline of the pajama pants. "Goodnight Ianto. Sleep tight." John gave him another quick kiss on the neck and then… nothing.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Isn't it time for some sleep?**

"My hosts are not home. They are visiting Rachel in New York and won't be back before late Sunday night, so it'll be fine." After taking Unique and Jane home, Jack and Castiel had finally arrived at the Berry-house. Castiel had been a little wary about it, wondering if anyone would find it odd that they came in at this time of night.

"My room is very small, and I only have a single bed, but I'm sure it'll be okay if you sleep in Rachel's room." Jack grabbed Castiel's backpack from the trunk of the car. "You won't need your sleeping bag, but I guess you'll need the toiletries." He threw it to Cas before he grabbed his own bag.

"Do you know what happened between those guys? You were sitting with John when Dean attacked him, so I just… Did he say anything?" Jack unlocked the door and gestured for Cas to go inside. The guy looked down for a moment before he sighed. "I don't know. I could guess, but it makes no sense."

Jack headed for the stairs. "What makes no sense? You guessing, or your actual guess." He turned briefly and smiled at Cas to encourage him to share. "Both. I really don't know, but I noticed that Dean was watching us for a long time while we were talking." They entered Rachel's room and Cas started to dig through his bag. "We were talking about experience, er, you know… and I told him that I'd never been kissed."

Jack lifted a brow. "Never? Really? Wow." He soon realized that it wasn't the best response if he wanted to hear the rest of the story. "Sorry, I'm sorry. Go on." Castiel pulled a pair of sweatpants out of his backpack and threw them on the bed. "Well. I've been kissed of course, but not like… you know… I've never had a girlfriend." He blushed a little as he spoke, but he didn't avert from his task. The small bag of toiletries landed next to the pants, but he kept digging.

After a few moments of silence, during which Jack was patiently waiting for Cas to continue, the guy sighed heavily. "I do not want to talk about it. I had nothing to do with what happened. I was just an innocent bystander." Cas had obviously found what he was looking for, and held up an old t-shirt. "If you don't mind, I will get ready for bed now." The guy was clearly embarrassed and Jack felt a little responsible.

"I have never had a girlfriend either." He hoped to make amends by sharing a little bit of himself. "I have kissed a few girls though, but a kiss is a kiss. It doesn't have to mean anything." He showed Castiel to the bathroom. Cas turned abruptly. "Exactly. That kiss didn't mean anything to me."

It took a few moments for Jack to get it. In the meantime, Cas had entered the bathroom and locked the door.

He should probably not pursue this any further, but curiosity got the better of him. As soon as Cas unlocked the door Jack was ready with the next question, "John kissed you, right?" He stepped aside to let Cas pass. "He kissed you and Dean got jealous. Oh boy. This is, this is..."

He followed Castiel over to the bed. The guy crawled under the blanket before he turned to Jack again. "That was my thought too, but it makes no sense." He drew his breath. "I told you that it made no sense. Dean just wanted to punch John, and I had probably nothing to do with it."

Dean, the Jock, had tried to make everybody believe that he was a womanizer. He bragged about his concours on a regular basis, and it was sometimes quite annoying. If it was true that he attacked John because he kissed Castiel, it would change Jack's view on the guy completely.

"I'm sorry to have to ask, but what kind of kiss was it?" Jack cocked his head. "Do you think that John wanted to get it on with you?" That would be a totally different story, but Jack couldn't help himself. "Oh please, I'm sorry but I'm just too curious to let this go."

Castiel shook his head. "No. John is in love with somebody else. It was just a quick peck on the cheek, and it didn't mean anything for him or me. It startled me somewhat, but it was quite innocent."

-o-o-o-o-

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!" Sam could help yelling to his brother as soon as they were alone in the car. "I leave you for a second, and that's all it takes for you to get into a fight." He knew his brother very well, and he knew that Dean could easily pick a fight under certain conditions. The party in Ianto's basement didn't really apply. "Everybody was friendly, there was no reason for this. You'll probably get thrown out of the Glee-club."

He had to shout because he was competing with Ian Gillan and Deep Purple as they headed home. Dean's rule about the driver picking the music obviously didn't apply on this ride.

"We ended up at the Grand Hotel

It was empty cold and bare…"

Dean didn't even try to defend himself, which was highly unusual. He was busy tapping the beat on of the song, but without the usual enthusiasm. He actually didn't utter a single word until Sam parked outside their building.

"Smoke on the water

a fire in the…"

Sam cut the engine and turned to his brother. "Will you please say something." He realized that he was still yelling, and lowered his voice significantly. "Please, Dean."

It took a moment and a few deep breaths before Dean finally turned to him. "Sam. I have a confession to make." He stepped out of the car and walked a little unsteadily over to their building without saying anything more. Sam ran after him and grabbed his sleeve. "What? What confession?"

They entered the apartment, and Dean went straight to the bathroom without elaborating any further. Sam waited for the longest time for his brother to come out. He was so ready for bed, but he was curious and he also needed to pee like a racehorse. He had good reasons to try to get Dean out of there. "You know I can unlock the door from outside. I'm coming in."

He didn't have to. Dean came out and dived onto the couch. "I'll sleep here. I should probably change, but I don't want to."

Sam knew that it would be kind of cold for Dean to sleep out there without a blanket, so he went into the alcove and fetched Dean's duvet. "You can't spring that on me and not elaborate." Sam tucked his brother in, and sat down on the edge of the couch. "I want to hear your confession."

With a bladder that was about to burst, Sam tried to get his brother's attention. "Dean! I'm not gonna let you sleep until you share, Come on...Dean? For fucks sake, don't fall asleep on me now. I want to know."

Dean grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it over his head. "Go away. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Ever!" He kicked Sam to get him out of the couch. "Go to bed and leave me alone. It was nothing. John is just such a prick."

It was no way he could hold it in any longer, so sam went to the bathroom to take a leak. That his brother seemed to have this resentment towards John came out of nowhere. The guy was funny and outspoken, and quite a character. His jokes and his somewhat friendly insults could be a little too much at times, but he was likable.

When he came back out, Dean was sitting up with the laptop open. He closed it quickly, but not quickly enough. Sam saw that he was on Facebook, and it surprised him. Dean had never been very interested in any of the social networks, and even if he had a profile, he was hardly ever on.

"I was just… er, I wanted to check if anyone had mentioned what happened." He put the computer on the table and lied down again. "Sorry bro, I ruined the party, and I'm sorry."

There was probably no point in trying to drag any information out of him at this moment, but his apology sounded genuine, so maybe he'd share in the morning. When he was sure that his brother wasn't watching, Sam grabbed the laptop and went to bed.

He was very curious, and felt like a stalker when he decided to check what Dean had been looking for. Gwen's smiling face was staring at him from the screen, but her account was sheltered from anyone she wasn't friends with. The information Dean could have gotten from browsing Facebook was limited; from what Sam could find out, none of the glee-club members were on his friends list.

He pressed the arrow to go back, and found out that Gwen hadn't been the first name in his search history. 'Castiel Novak', 'Jim Novak', 'Jimmy C. Novak', the list was long. Every possible way to spell his name came up, and Sam started to get the picture. On 'Jim C. Novak' there was one hit on the White pages, but none of the other searches had resulted in anything.

Sam had noticed that John and Cas had hung out together at the party, but he hadn't really thought much of it. If Dean had a crush on Cas, he could easily have been provoked by it. Drunk and jealous, he could have tried to come between the two of them, and if John had come up with any of his lines, it could have aggravated Dean into attacking him.

It had been a while since Sam had discovered that his brother wasn't as straight as he appeared to be. Dean had no idea how to cover his tracks when he used the computer, so Sam had gotten a few surprises when he checked the browsing history.

He hadn't initially done it to spy. About a year back, Sam had been looking for a page he'd been on before, and scrolling down the list of hits, he had found some disturbing urls. It took a while before he dared to confront Dean about them, but eventually he felt he had to.

Some of the pages that Dean had been to could potentially carry malware, and even if Sam was capable of handling it, he felt that it would be better if he taught his brother a little bit about internet safety.

It had been the most awkward conversation he'd ever had with his brother. Dean tried to deny any knowledge of it, but he caved in when he understood that his denial was futile. He'd also tried to make some lame and totally unbelievable excuses, but sam never fell for it. He was pretty sure that his brother was what they called 'bi-curious', and even if Sam had a hard time dealing with it at first, he soon realized that it didn't matter for him.

He wasn't sure if that was true anymore. It was easy to accept that his brother looked at pictures and video of random guys, but when he started to search for one specifically, it became real. If Dean had a crush on Castiel, Sam would have to reevaluate his own view on the matter.


	13. Have a slice of this humble pie dear

John and Ianto shares an awkward moment in the kitchen. In the meantime, Dean realizes that he has to appologize. It's not something he looks forward to, but he agrees with Sam that it has to be done. It goes rather well. Castiel knows what is to come, and he waits patiently for Dean to show up.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Highway to hell - AC/DC - M/L: Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott**

**Summertime - from Porgy and Bess - Ella Fitzgerald - M: George Gershwin, L: DuBose Heyward**

* * *

**Morning has broken...**

"I'm on the highway to hell

on the highway to hell

highway…."

Ianto reached out for his phone to stop the alarm. He didn't even remember setting it, but it didn't matter. He checked the time. It was almost noon and nobody had tried to wake him up, which was highly unusual. Whenever he slept in, he often woke up with his two little nephews jumping on his bed.

For a moment, he just enjoyed the fact that he'd been able to get a decent sleep, but then he suddenly remembered what had happened last night when he and John went to bed. He flipped his head around and discovered that he was alone.

After a good stretch, Ianto got out of bed and looked out the window. John's car was still parked on the street, so his friend was obviously still in the house. He also noticed that his father's car was in the driveway, and he figured that his parents were back.

Trying to postpone the inevitable, Ianto went to the bathroom and took a long shower. Part of him wanted John to be gone before he went downstairs, but on the other hand, it would probably be better to get it over with. They would meet again sooner or later, and it wouldn't be less awkward in class on Monday.

Ianto gave the door to Gwen's room a soft knock before he opened it and peeked inside. His cousin and her friend Jo were still sleeping, so he closed the door gently.

With a deep sigh he tried to brace himself for what was to come before he went downstairs. He could hear talking from the kitchen, and he recognized John's and his mother's voices. This was just too fucked up.

He put on a brave face and stepped into the room. "Hiya. Good morning." Without looking at John, he went over to the counter and grabbed a cup from the cupboard and poured some coffee in it.

"Good Morning?" His mom chuckled a little. "Afternoon almost. Did you sleep well?" She was busy emptying the dishwasher, but stopped and picked up the pizza coupons. "You guys never ordered pizza so I took the liberty of doing it now. I'm not in the mood to cook right now."

Ianto shrugged before he finally turned around to look at John. The guy had a nice little shiner on his left eye, and his cheekbone was slightly bruised. "Hi. I didn't want to wake you. I…" John paused and looked down at the table before he took a sip from his cup. "I… I didn't…" Again, he paused.

"Did you two get into a fight last night? Did you do that to him?" Ianto's mother looked at her son as she furrowed her brows. "I mean… sounds to me that you have a couple of issues to resolve." Ianto could feel that his cheeks heated up from the blood rushing to his face. "No. We didn't." He and John spoke in unison, as both of them looked at her.

"It was an accident. I tripped." John gave her a shy smile. "I think I drank a little too much. Not that much, but it was the stairs, and I kind of… I just fell on my face." Ianto knew his mother, and he could see it on her face. She didn't believe a word. "Umph, yeah right." She turned to Ianto. "The Patricks told me that the police were here, can you explain that?"

Ianto did not want to explain anything, but he was happy about the leeway. "The Patricks, uh? I guess it was them that called the police in the first place. They could have just called me, or come to the door." He shook his head. "We handled the police fine. We were just playing the music a little too loud. The officer was in the house and he saw that we were behaving."

His mother nodded towards John. "Is that what you call behaving? Tripped on the stairs. Don't try to fool an old fool." She put the last few of the clean dishes away before she started to walk away. "I'm going to the store. Your dad is in the garden. I don't know how many of your friends are still here, but get them up and feed them. The pizza will be here soon." She grabbed her handbag. "And you two need to talk it out. I'm very disappointed in you, Ianto. Fighting with your friends is not good."

Both Ianto and John turned to her. "We didn't. We didn't fight." Again, they spoke in unison, and they both had to laugh a little. It was kind of refreshing, but Ianto knew that the awkwardness wasn't over yet.

As soon as she had left, Ianto pushed away from the counter and crossed the floor. "I'll better check downstairs. Do you know if Garth and Charlie are still there?" He didn't want to be alone with John right now. It took a moment before John said anything. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing. I was drunk... It'll never happen again. Can we put it behind us and pretend that it never happened?"

Ianto didn't know what to say. He was pretty sure that he would be unable to pretend that he didn't get aroused last night, but he really didn't want this to be an issue between them. "Sure. We can do that. You just got beat up and needed a little comfort, right?" Ianto dared to turn and give John a quick smile.

"I did not get beat up. I stood my ground, and I'm sure Dean has a few bruises too. Along with Jack, but that was just unfortunate." John sounded a little disgruntled, but then he bent his head down and chuckled quietly. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just needed a little comforting."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean woke up after only a few hours of sleep. He emitted a groan when he remembered what had happened. It wasn't really his style to apologize, but he knew that he probably had to come up with some excuse for what he did. Before he finally fell asleep sometime in the early morning hours, he had been too angry and embarrassed to even care if they threw him out of Glee-club. In the light of the new day, his view on it had changed significantly.

He had to admit to himself that an outcome that would shut him out of the choir room indefinitely would be close to devastating. Reluctantly, he realized that he wouldn't have been half as bummed if Beiste had threatened to kick him off the football team.

John was not his biggest concern. He wasn't particularly big and muscular, but he had gotten a few punches in on Dean before the others separated them. Dean rubbed his sore jaw, and wondered if he had any visible bruises. Knowing that he'd stood his ground and with his everyday easygoing demeanor, John would probably be willing to forget about the whole thing if Dean came up with the correct lines.

It was the reaction from rest of the group that worried him.

Dean was busy making a list in his head on who he had to grovel for, when Sam came out of the little alcove. His brother stretched his long body before he headed for the bathroom. "Slept well?" Sam asked as he crossed the floor. Dean didn't answer, and Sam didn't pursue it.

A few minutes later after taking a leak, Sam came back out and sat down on the couch next to Dean. "Is it time for some humble pie, or are you still angry?" He gave Dean a tentative smile. Dean looked down and didn't answer at first.

Sam was a smart guy and could possibly be at help, but Dean wasn't sure if he wanted to give his brother that pleasure. Giving it a second thought, he realized that he probably didn't have a choice. Sam was good friends with a few of the members, and he was generally well liked.

"I need to…" It wasn't easy to say the words. "I have to apologize to, er, them." Dean hoped that Sam wouldn't mock him. He knew that if his brother started to make fun of him for this, he would never go through with his plan to get into the good graces of the Glee-club again. Dean knew himself well enough. It felt like he was balancing on the edge of a knife, and one joking remark from Sam could piss him off enough to fall down on the wrong side.

The sound that Sam emitted could have been a laugh, but if so, he quickly managed to cover it up with a cough. Dean decided to give his brother the benefit of the doubt. At least he was trying to take this seriously.

"I think." Sam leaned back and rubbed his chin. "I think you have to go to each and every one of them and apologize in person." Dean could almost feel Sam's eyes on him, but he didn't look up. "If they get together and decide that you are not fit to be in the club, it could be too late. You have to do it today."

Dean still didn't look at his brother. The humiliation he would have to suffer through would totally ruin his image, but deep down he knew that Sam was right. "Okay. Okay. Better get it over with then." He got up from the couch. This humble pie tasted very bad, but he did his best to swallow his pride.

Before he went to fetch some clean clothes and get ready, he finally turned to meet Sam's eyes. "Could you, hm. Could you maybe call Kevin and ask what he thinks. I mean… he is your friend, and…" The glimpse of humor he saw on Sam face almost had him change his mind, but he managed to brace himself.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Castiel didn't want a ride home. After a light breakfast, he packed up his things and decided to walk to the bus station. "My brother offered to pick me up there when we came back. They think we were coming back this morning with the bus."

Jack understood. From the conversation they had over eggs and toast, he knew that Cas had lived a pretty sheltered life up until now. His family had moved around a lot over the last few years, and he never really had any friends outside of church.

The family's stability had been crushed when his mother died of cancer three years ago. Castiel's father decided to uproot the family and move, because he couldn't bare staying in that house where his wife had withered away for two years before she drew her last breath.

In church, they called it a promotion when the family travelled around so Castiel's dad could help struggling ministries. It took three years before he decided to settle down again, and that's when Castiel ended up in Lima.

During the time on the road, Castiel had started to lose his faith. He was very open with Jack when he talked about it, but he didn't elaborate on why or how. Determined to make new friends that had no connections to the church, he had convinced his father to enroll him at McKinley High; the school furthest away from his house.

"I just wanted a little sliver of independence. I wanted to make sure that my new friends would know me for me, and not as the pastor's son."

Jack suspected that there was more to this tale, but he didn't pursue it. He could easily understand Castiel's need to distance himself from all the religious mumbo-jumbo. Jack had hardly ever set foot in a church, and he had never really had any faith.

As soon as Castiel left, Jack went to check Rachel's room. He knew it was okay for him to use it, but he wanted to make sure that everything was in order. He had nothing to worry about. Cas had made the bed himself in the morning, and the bathroom didn't show any trace of a visitor.

For a moment he contemplated on changing the linens, but decided against it. Nobody needed to know. He was on his way back down when the doorbell rang. He opened the door, and was surprised to see Dean.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**This is going great**

Gwen was not impressed with Dean's apology. She was still a little pissed about what happened, but she reluctantly decided to give the guy absolution for his actions. It was mostly because he actually came to the house to face her and Ianto.

From what she'd learned about the guy so far, it had to have been a tough decision to make. She was pretty sure that his brother was the mind behind this, but it didn't take away the fact that Dean seemed genuinely embarrassed about his own behaviour.

When it all went down, Gwen had been furious, and she had blamed Dean for ruining the party. In the morning, she had to admit that the fight had nothing to do with the party ending, and it could have gone on if it hadn't been for the complaint from the neighbors.

Both she and Ianto had tried to find out why the guy attacked John, but didn't get any straight answers from him. "I was drunk, and I thought… John said something earlier that pissed me off, and then... I thought he was making jokes on my behalf. I don't know. I was just too drunk to think."

Gwen had been willing to let it go. She wasn't sure if she'd ever invite Dean to another party, but this was over. It surprised her when Ianto started to pursue the matter. Over lunch, both he and John had been ready to forgive Dean without even talking to him, much to Gwen's annoyance, and now it seemed like Ianto wasn't done with this after all.

Standing there on the stoop, Ianto stared at Dean with a smirk on his face. "You're sure that was it? What was it that John said then? You're sure it wasn't something he did?"

Dean was quiet for the longest time, and Gwen started to worry that he'd withdraw his apology and attack Ianto as well. She tried to interfere. "Don't worry about that… It's something between John and him. Let them…"

Ianto looked at her. "I know. I'm just curious, so if you could shut up…" He threw her a smile before he turned back to face Dean. "John claims he didn't say anything to offend you, and I believe him. So why? Why did you really attack him?"

Gwen was ready to give Ianto a piece of her mind. Shushing her like that was not cool, but she got a little intrigued. Did Ianto know something she didn't? She looked Dean again and could see that he was struggling to keep calm.

"I don't know. I was just…" For a moment it looked like the guy was in pain. "I don't have a good reason. I don't remember much of it, and I am so sorry. I think I was just bored and wanted some action."

That didn't even sound plausible, and Gwen started to believe that it was more to this than met the eye. She would have loved to know, but this was not the time and place. "It's okay. Talk to John, and make up with him. Ianto. Stop it."

It was pretty clear that Ianto wasn't ready let it go, but he complied and took a step back. Before he turned to go inside, he gave Dean a wink. "Yeah, talk to John. Do that. I'm sure he can lift the veil from your clouded memory."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After driving around Lima for two hours to find each and everyone, it started to look good for Dean. Jack took it very well and commended Dean for actually coming around to apologize. That was pretty much Jane's reaction as well, although she wasn't ready to let it go completely.

Jo hadn't even been present for the commotion, and after talking to John in the morning, she believed that it wasn't such big deal. "John was happy to get in a punch, and if I understood him correctly, he has forgiven you already." She shrugged. "I missed the whole drama, but as far as I'm concerned it's between you and him."

Sam had been nice enough to call Kevin, Garth, and Charlie. The three of them were all a little concerned, but didn't really hold a grudge. Charlie had actually, according to Sam, mentioned that she secretly welcomed the little scuffle because the party had started to get a little boring at that time.

Garth was a little less forgiving, and warned Sam that if he hadn't been so tired he would have taken Dean down himself. When Sam told Dean what Garth said, they both got a good laugh out of it. The guy was skinny as a toothpick and about as buff as a shrimp, and would not have been able to do much. Eventually he'd mellowed and admitted that he liked Dean, and that the two of them had had a bonding moment at the party. "I am gonna keep an eye on him though."

Kevin didn't really care. He was not happy about the fight, but decided to trust Sam and give Dean the benefit of the doubt. He mentioned that John could be a little big-mouthed, and even if he probably didn't mean any harm, it was sometimes quite annoying.

The McCarthy twins refused to come to the door when Dean showed up. Their mother tried to make them, but eventually Dean had to leave. It was a bummer, but he tried to keep his spirit up as they continued to Unique's house.

Her father came to the door, and if Dean had felt a little intimidated with the man the first time they met, it wasn't any better now. He invited them both inside, and Dean didn't dare to refuse.

"...fish are jumping

and the cotton is high

Oh, your daddy's rich

and your ma is good looking

"So hush…."

Unique flipped her head around and stopped singing as the Winchester brothers entered the den. "Oh. It's you." She sighed and turned the volume down on the sound system. Ella Fitzgerald's rendition of 'Summertime' was playing softly in the background as Unique gestured for the boys to sit.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Castiel was pacing back and forth on the front porch. The call from Jack had stirred him, and he didn't know what to expect. Evidently, Dean was out on a mission to get absolution for his actions last night, and he was probably going to come there as well.

If Jack had been right about his perception of the event, it would be very uncomfortable for Cas to even look at Dean.

His father had been a little concerned when he refused to come inside after the call, but Cas wanted to make sure to keep Dean away from his family. He didn't really trust himself to handle this in a calm and sensible way, and didn't want anybody to see him stutter and blush in front of Dean.

He thought about just giving the guy a call to tell him that he was forgiven, but part of him wanted the confrontation.

Unique had hit the nail on the head when she insinuated that Castiel sat on the bleachers during football practice just to eye the handsome guys on the field. She was wrong about one thing though. Cas wasn't interested in looking at anyone else but Dean.

In the beginning he'd just hung there with his books, throwing clandestine glances at the boys. After Dean joined Glee-club and Cas got to know him a little bit, he didn't care about the other guys on the team.

He rationalized it to himself with the fact that he was just supportive of a fellow choir member, but deep down he knew it wasn't so.

Unique had a thing for the linemen, especially those who were above average size. If they were African American to boot, she was practically drooling as she watched them. It was kind of sad to know that most of these guys would be totally turned off by the fact that she had a penis.

In Castiel's mind, she was a beautiful human being, and he was sure that there would be someone out there for her, but finding that guy on the local football team was a long shot. Unique had to get out of Lima. She had to go out in the world and meet people who would see through the exterior and find the diamond inside.

Thinking about all of this had made him lose his concentration, so when he heard the sound of car coming up the street, he hurried to sit down on the hammock pretending to read.

It wasn't the Impala, but Cas decided to stay put. Sooner or later Dean would come, and he wanted to make sure to be cool and collected when that happened. The book he'd picked at random from the shelf turned out to be a textbook that his brother had kept from when he took Humanities in college. Cas had already opened it on a random page, and when he started to read he found it quite interesting.


	14. Truths, lies and victory

Dean learns that his attempt on covering up the reason behind his agressive behavior isn't quite working, but he's unaware of how far the truth have spread. Come Monday, the guys in glee-club are eager to know more, but John and Castiel decide to nip it in the bud. They all get startling news from Mr Evans that makes Dean's delicate little problem fade away for the time being.

* * *

**Song in this chapter**

**We are the champions - Queen - Freddie Mercury**

* * *

**John the savior**

"How can those two be the worst? We know that John has practically forgiven you already, and Cas doesn't seem like a guy who'd carry a grudge." Sam looked at him over the table. Was there a little smirk tickling his lip? Dean wasn't sure, but the tone of his brother's voice had been a little strange. It was like he had some inside information that Dean wasn't aware of.

"Oh, I just meant that even if John forgives me, he will never let me hear the end of it." He huffed before he picked up the burger. "This is going to be an ongoing joke until somebody else makes a mistake." Dean bit into his food and chewed slowly as he shook his head.

After swallowing the bite, he shrugged. "Castiel was sitting next to John, and I think he got scared. Maybe he was afraid I'd punch him too." Dean sighed and looked at his brother. Now there was no doubt. Sam was obviously doing his best to cover up a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Dean started to get a little annoyed. "I can go alone if you want. I don't need your sorry attempt on being supportive."

After the quite interesting visit at Unique's house, the Winchesters had to take a break. They were both hungry, and even if the money was running a little short at the moment, they decided to eat out. Burgers and fries weren't that expensive anyway.

Dean had tried to explain himself when they met Unique, but she had not let him. Instead, she held a long monologue about friendship, and what that entailed. She took a break when her mom brought some iced tea, but kept going as soon as the woman was out of site.

Sam was clearly a little amused, but he managed to cover it up somewhat. Dean was about ready to give up on seeking forgiveness from her because the whole tale soon got boring. Most of what she said had nothing to do with him; he wasn't in a habit of attacking people for no reason, and he'd done his best to fit in with the rest of the students in the choir.

A few former acquaintances would probably disagree, but Dean knew that whenever he'd been in a fight, he'd been provoked into action. He couldn't remember starting one single scuffle in his life, although he'd frequently been the one to get in the first punch. And those guys weren't really his friends even.

"Fighting is for cave men. If you're angry, use your words, not your fist." Unique drew her breath and took a sip from her glass. "I trust that you will never do it again, so I will forgive you." Dean was about to thank her when she stopped him. "There's one condition though…" She cocked her head and looked Dean straight in the eyes. He just nodded. He'd agree to anything that could get him out of there. "I have to know that John is alright, and that you and him kiss and make up."

Dean smiled and nodded. He was pretty sure that he could promise her that. If Ianto and Gwen were right, John was ready to forgive and forget. "That's fair. I'm going to his place after. I'm sure we'll work it out between us."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The house was big and it stood out from the others because of it's Art-deco style. There were two cars in the driveway, and through the open garage door they could see a minivan.

"I thought it was only him and his mother. Do you think they have company?" Sam recognized John's reasonably new sedan, but it was the car next to it that really caught his eye. The shiny, red Mercedes Convertible was a thing of beauty. The top was down, and except for a pair of sunglasses dangling on the rear-view mirror and a lipstick left in the passenger seat, it looked like it came straight off the assembly line.

Dean didn't look half as impressed. "European cars, pfft." He patted the hood of the Impala. "This is reliability on wheels. That's just showing off." He took a look at the house again before he turned back to Sam. "They must be rich. Did you know?"

Sam shook his head. "No, I had no idea. I don't really know John at all. I had barely met him before the party." That wasn't completely true. He had met him in the lunch room, and they had actually shared a table on a couple of occasions. They'd never exchanged a word though. He'd also seen the guy in the parking lot at school a few times, so he knew what car he drove. Sam had actually noticed that it was fairly new and in a price range that a normal student couldn't afford. He had never thought much of it. He always believed that John used one of his parents' cars from time to time; he usually came to school with the bus.

It wasn't until the party that he learned that it really was John's. It was parked outside Ianto's house when they arrived there. He had meant to take it when they left to go to sectionals, but with Jack, Dean, and Mason volunteering to drive, they didn't need it.

At the party, he'd also understood that his parents were divorced and that he lived with his mother.

"It's not fair." Sam chuckled a little humorlessly. "Our place could fit into that house ten times over." He wasn't really envious, it was more a statement on how different life could be. "I mean, how can two people need that much space?"

Dean was already at the door, and he gestured for Sam to get in the car. "I think it's better I do this alone." He pressed the doorbell. Sam looked at his brother dumbfounded. "Are you fucking kidding me? I want to see the inside of this mansion. There's no way I'll let you do it alone." He could see that his brother wasn't happy about it, but he didn't say anything. "I'll stay out of your way. I'm just curious."

The woman who opened the door was absolutely gorgeous. Sam figured it had to be John's mother, although she looked way too young. She wore a tight fitting cream colored dress, and even if Sam didn't know much about fashion, it looked expensive. Her natural blonde hair was tied up in a loose bun with a scarf that matched the dress.

Sam felt like something the cat dragged in compared to her. He threw a quick peek at his brother. Dean looked equally intimidated, and it was clear that he was a little taken aback by the sight of the woman.

"Dean, is it?" She smiled and gestured for them to enter. "And you are the little brother I guess." She looked up at Sam as she chuckled. "Not so little." She closed the door behind them. "John is expecting you. He'll be down shortly."

The hall was big. It was quite a bit bigger than their own living room, and the ceiling was at least fifteen feet above them. Sam looked up at the skylight far up there as he sighed. "This is..., oh, wow." When Mrs Hart smiled at him, he realized that he'd said it out loud, and he got a little embarrassed.

Soon after, he could see John on top of the curved staircase to the left. "Hi. Welcome to my humble abode." He came running down the stairs sporting a wide smile. "Ianto told me to expect you, and I appreciate the gesture, but I'm over it."

He touched his eye briefly. "I'll have a reminder of it for a few days, but it's no big deal. You were only trying to protect your boy Castiel, and it's commendable." He gave Dean a quick wink. Sam wasn't sure how his brother would react to John's insinuation, and he worried a little. At the same time he couldn't help finding it quite amusing.

"I… Well… It wasn't that. I just… I was drunk, and I'm sorry." It was kind of funny how Dean stuttered out the words. He was clearly taken aback, but surprisingly enough, he didn't seem angry.

"Don't worry. I would never hit on him. It was just a friendly kiss, and it didn't mean anything." John reached his hand out. "Let's shake on it, and forget it ever happened."

It surprised Sam a great deal when his brother grabbed John's hand and shook it. "Okay. Let's forget." Dean let go of the hand and looked down for a moment. "But, but… it wasn't…" John cut him off. "Don't even try." He chuckled a little as shook his head. "We both know the truth, but it's okay. I won't tell anybody." With a sigh he continued. "Mind you, a few other people have guessed as well, so my promise is probably not worth a thing."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It wasn't easy to find Castiel's house. He lived in a part of town where Dean hadn't been before. Even if he had done his best to familiarize himself with his new hometown, he'd never driven through this neighborhood.

As he searched for the street, he was happy that Sam decided to keep quiet. Dean was pretty sure he would have kicked his brother out of the car if he had said anything about what happened at John's house.

Sam seemed perfectly aware of this. Even if he obviously had a hard time keeping a straight face, he managed to shut his cakehole. Only a few words were uttered between them during the last leg of Dean's apology run. It happened when Dean suggested to take Sam home, but his brother refused the offer.

Dean didn't want to have to elaborate about why he wanted to Sam out of the way, so he let it go. "But you're staying in the car when I talk to him, right?" He didn't look at Sam, but in the corner of his eye, he could see that he nodded. Dean tried to ignore the fact that Sam was about to burst into laughter, but it wasn't easy.

He'd almost given up when he finally found a sign with the name of Castiel's street. The search could have been made easier if he'd let Sam use the GPS on his phone, but Dean didn't want help.

The plan was to leave Sam and the Impala a few houses down from Castiel's and walk the rest of the way, but it got totally busted as he turned into the street. From afar, Dean could see Cas sitting on the front porch of his house, and as he slowly approached, the guy jumped up and hurried towards the gate in the white picket fence surrounding the yard.

Dean lifted a finger and turned briefly to his brother. "You stay put, or else…" Sam nodded. "Of course." There was a brief expression of something that could look like disgust on his face before he shrugged and smiled. "Don't worry. I will not interfere."

After taking a couple of deep breaths, Dean exited the car and walked around it to face Castiel. The guy opened the gate and stepped out on the sidewalk. "You didn't have to come. Jack told me what you were up to, but I trust that you and John can figure it out between the two of you." He looked down as he batted his eyes. "It had nothing to do with me anyway, right?"

It took a few seconds before Dean managed to reply. It had everything to do with Castiel, but he wasn't comfortable revealing that, not even to himself. "Yeah, uh, no. No, you're right. I just… I wanted to apologize in person. I mean… to everybody at the party."

Castiel didn't say anything, so Dean felt that he had to continue, else it would be a very awkward silence. "I've talked to John, and he has forgiven me. I was just too drunk, and he… you know how he can say things without thinking? I was too drunk to find his jokes humorous at all, and I thought he was making fun of me, so I… I made a mistake, but he forgave me for it."

Dean could hear how his little speech sounded like ranting the way he kept repeating himself, but his brain was on pause at the moment. "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay, and that you didn't think… I mean, you sat right next to him. Did you worry that I'd attack you as well? John knew he was the target, and he is fine with it. It will never happen again. I'm sorry, I was drunk and stupid." He was completely out of breath, and had to stop.

Finally, Cas looked up. He cocked his head and stared at Dean with a somewhat puzzled expression on his face. "I didn't see you speak to him after we got out of your car outside Ianto's house. What did he say to anger you? I mean... when did he…?"

As soon as the words slipped out of the guy's mouth, a red hue started to crawl over his cheeks. "Sorry. It's none of my business." He seemed to get a little antsy, and he nodded towards the house. "I have some chores to attend to, so if... " He paused and threw a quick peek at Dean.

What happened next was totally improvised. Dean couldn't help himself when he took a step forward and gave Castiel a hug. He made sure to pat the guy's back just as he did with his teammates when they hugged each other after a good run. "Thank you." He noticed that Cas was obviously taken by surprise, but it took just a second before he composed himself and hugged him back.

Just as they were about to pull apart, Dean could feel that Castiel seemed to want to hold on for a moment longer, but then he let go. "See you tomorrow." The guy practically ran up to the house as he spoke. "It'll be alright."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Half of the students in the choir room crowded around Castiel when he entered after fourth period. The rumors about Dean's reason for hitting John had reached the whole Glee-club before the assembly, and they wanted to know what Cas had to say. Dean was still at football practice and wouldn't be there for another half hour.

The unwritten rule about 'what happens in Glee-club, stays in Glee-club' had applied, so nobody else at school knew anything about it. Dean had lunch with the football team, and even if a couple of choir kids had thrown clandestine peeks at him, he was probably unaware of the fact that he was the center of attention.

Sam had to be told. He was sitting at their usual table, and Gwen had been totally unable to avoid the subject. When he revealed that he already knew about the rumors, she got even more excited. "So do you know if it's true? Did he… does he have a crush on Cas?"

Before Sam got a chance to reply, John leaned forward and urged everybody to keep it down. He didn't usually sit at this table, but today he'd squeezed in. "Let's not talk about this in here." He nodded towards the table where the Dean was sitting. "I am positive that it's true, but we should keep it to ourselves. Dean behaved like an idiot, but he is on the football team and they'll bury him if they learn about this."

That John was so eager to protect the guy who'd given him a black eye was surprising, but Gwen kind of agreed. There was no reason to make this worse than it had to be, and if it was love that made Dean act like he did, it was totally excusable.

Unique and Jack were a little bit delayed for choir practice and the twins refused to get involved, but the rest of them were eager to hear Castiel's side of the story. Nobody had told him about their suspicions either, so when he came in, he was not prepared for the ambush.

Gwen grabbed his hand and led him to a chair. "What about it? Do you like him? He was obviously trying to defend you." She sat down next to him. "Please share. What happened when he came to your house yesterday?"

Castiel looked at her before he panned the rest of the crowd. "Nothing. Nothing happened. Dean was pissed because we walked in front of his car when he was about to pull out of the parking lot at Carmel high. When he got drunk, he decided to punish us. That John got the punch was just a coincidence. He could just as well have punched me."

Gwen couldn't believe it. Did Cas actually think that this was the truth, or did he try to cover up? "Give me a break. Dean didn't say anything about that when he came to our house." She looked briefly at Ianto before she met John's eyes. "You didn't say anything about that either."

For a moment she felt totally ignored as John and Castiel stared at each other. Suddenly John started laughing. "I'm sorry." He turned around and addressed the rest of the crowd. "It's true. I totally forgot, but me and Dean had words earlier that night. He would probably not have attacked Cas, but he was angry with us because we startled him when we stepped in front of his car."

He took a couple of steps back and sat down on the other side of Castiel. "Let it go Gwen. I teased him into this. I was rude and obnoxious, so it wasn't so strange that he lashed out."

Some of the kids looked relieved, while a couple seemed a little disappointed. Gwen could not help herself. "But nobody saw that the two of you exchanged a word. When did that happen?"

John seemed to think about it for a second. "Remember when we arrived? I left to pick up something from my car while you, Ianto, and Cas went straight inside?" Gwen didn't hesitate. "No I don't, and I do not believe that that even happened." She stared at him as she twisted her mind to try to find out if she could be wrong. John shrugged. "Well, you were busy getting everything ready for the rest of the crowd, so you probably didn't notice. Anyway, we had words in passing later as well. I teased him, and he got angry. I didn't think that he'd actually attack me, but I had it coming."

Did John actually take the blame for this? It made no sense. Gwen wasn't ready to let this go, but had to withdraw when Mr Evans entered the room.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**What about those Warblers?**

"You guys left a little too early on Saturday to hear the news." Their director paced in front of the class. "The principal at Carmel wasn't happy about your departure, but I did my best to cover for your sorry asses."

Everybody in there looked down and a couple threw a quick peek at Jack. Mr Evans obviously noticed. "Yes. Jack told me about your plan, but I would have appreciated to know about it ahead of time." He drew his breath. "I understand that you wanted to get back. What I don't understand is why you felt that you needed to keep it a secret."

He stopped pacing and leaned on the piano. "They had the super work extra that night just to keep an eye on you guys, and now they have to pay him for nothing." Lowering his voice significantly, he continued, "The guy probably doesn't make that much, so it's good for him."

He smiled briefly before he again put on the serious face. "If you'd just waited another half hour…" He panned the group. "I would have called one of you if I wasn't so annoyed about your sudden departure."

"I'm a little disappointed, but I..." He paused when Dean entered the room and hurried to find a seat. "Sorry. Beiste kept us a little longer. Sorry guys. Sorry." He looked at the director. "Mr Evans. I guess you have heard about what happened at the party, and I promise you that it will never happen again."

Mr Evans expression was probably more than enough for Dean to realize that the guy had no clue about what he was referring to. "Oh. Did I say party? I…" He turned to look at the rest of the choir. They all seemed to find this extremely amusing. Even the McCarthy twins were doing their best to cover up their grins.

"Yes, I knew about the party. It didn't come as a surprise when you all left, but you should have stayed a little longer." He chuckled a little. "Mr Schuester and the principal at Carmel handed in a joint complaint after the New Warblers had performed." He drew his breath. "The judges didn't check it out before the award ceremony, but when they did, it took them about ten minutes to confirm that the complaint was valid."

Mr Evans started pacing again. It was evident that his students were very eager to hear the rest of the story, but he dragged it out on purpose. If they hadn't left in such a hurry, they would have learned this already on Saturday.

He stopped and drew his breath. "Half of the guys that performed as The New Warblers were former students of their school. A couple of them are even professional artists, so the whole choir got disqualified."

It took a few moments before the guys in front of him understood what it meant, but then all hell broke loose.

-o-o-o-o-

"We're going to regionals. We're going to regionals. WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO REGIONALS!"

Everybody was screaming as they hugged each other. John jumped up on a chair and started singing.

"We are the Champions my friend

and we'll keep on fighting…"

Moments later, the whole Glee-club joined in. There were no attempts to do any harmonies, they just practically shouted the words out.

"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

NO TIME FOR LOSERS  
'CAUSE WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

OF THE WORLD…"

Everybody was whooping and cheering, and someone dragged Sam Evans into the group hug. John was still standing on the chair, and nodded towards Brad to hit the keys of the piano.

"I've taken my bows

And my curtain calls…"

He bowed and threw his hands out. It wasn't easy to hear him over the noise the rest of the choir made, but he didn't seem to care.

"You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it

I thank you all…"

Dean was unable to stop smiling. Not only did they win, but his own unfortunate mistake would probably be totally forgotten after this. He joined in on the chorus of the song along with everybody else, and he really felt like part of the group.

"We have a little less than three months." Sam gestured for them to sit as soon as they'd finished the song. "The stakes are higher. We will compete with better choirs, so we wave to be better." It took a few moments before everybody had settled down. Some were still high-fiving each other, and one could hear quiet whoops here and there.

It was hard to concentrate on what Mr Evans was saying, but Dean did his best. "Three months seems like a long time, but time travels fast." He cleared his throat. "This time, we will have to stay in a Motel, and there will be no chance of driving home in the middle of the night."

Dean could see that a few of his friends slumped their heads down for a moment, and it seemed like Gwen was about to say something. Mr Evans looked at her and shook his head. "We will not talk about that anymore." He shook his head again before he continued.

"The school will cover some of the expenses, but the rest we have to come up with ourselves." He threw his hands out and grabbed a marker. "I will send out letters to your parents and ask for contributions, but if you have any ideas on how to raise money any other way…" He paused and panned the crowd before he walked up to the whiteboard. "I'm thinking we can have a Christmas show… You will have exams, so… maybe." He drew his breath and turned to the board.

"We have to have focus on this competition on every assignment from now on. 'MUSICALS'" He wrote the words on the board as he said it. "This week, we are going to see if we can find a good show tune for regionals. Go alone or team up."

Dean didn't know many of those. When he and Jack spent that evening together, they had listened to a few, but Dean was unable to remember much of them. He would probably have to team up with somebody in order to come up with anything.

After the little incident at the party, he wasn't sure if anybody wanted to work with him. Forgiveness or not, he was still the odd one out. He threw a peek around him. John would surely work with Ianto as usual, and Jack was probably going for a solo.

After eliminating Mason and Garth - the two of them had not been as forgiving as the rest of the choir - it was only Cas and Kevin left of the boys. Working with Castiel was out of the question. It would be way too awkward.

He looked at the girls. Jo had been nice enough when he came around, but she and Gwen were already a team. Madison was not it. She obviously shared her brother's view on him. Dean was pretty sure that Jane and Unique would go for solos, and that only left Charlie.

He decided to wait and see. Dean knew that he was one of their best singers, so he hoped that someone would ask him. That he was a little unfamiliar with musicals and the like, shouldn't be a problem. He had already proved that he was able enough for it.


	15. Work, work, work and no fun

a/n: It was a bit surreal for me writing this chapter and listening to different Christmas songs in the middle of summer. After a couple of hours sifting through multiple carols, a was surprised to look out the window to discover that there were no snow on the ground. The sun is shining, the bees are humming and the grass is green, while I'm doing my best to get into Christmas mode.

* * *

Things are going back to normal over the next few weeks. As normal as it gets with all the work that has to be done. Exams and rehearsals are taking it's toll, but the events from the party is almost forgotten. They decide to do a Christmas show to raise money for Regionals. Not everybody is happy about it, but it is a success. The kids are celebrating the holidays in different ways, but two of them have no reason to celebrate at all.

* * *

**Music in this Chapter:**

**Winter wonderland - M: Felix Bernard, L: Richard B. Smith**

**Rockin' around the Christmas tree - M/L: Johnny Marks**

**Fairytale of New York - The Pogues - ****M/L: Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan**

**Driving home for Christmas - Chris Rea - M/L: Chris Rea**

**Deck the halls - M: Welsh Traditional, L: (English) Thomas Oliphant**

**Music mentioned:**

**Waltz of the Flowers, Hanukkah, oh Hanukkah, Oh Holy Night, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. **

* * *

**Christmas rehearsal**

They worked really hard the next few weeks. Ianto barely had time for regular schoolwork the way Mr Evans constantly pushed them to do better. The guy had briefly mentioned that they only needed twelve of them to compete. It was a joke, but even if everybody kind of knew that, they also knew that it could easily change if they didn't stay focused.

Gwen was especially nervous. She was perfectly aware of the fact that if any of the girls had to sit one out it would be her. Ianto tried to comfort her, although he wasn't too sure about his own position if Mr Evans decided to make good on his threat.

With a couple of exams coming up, and then the weekly assignments they had for Glee-club, Ianto didn't have much time for socializing either. It was true for a lot of the students in the choir, and it was actually the one topic that was discussed the most between them when they had a spare moment.

Even if the party they had ended a little sour, they all wanted to try to get together again. With everything going on at the moment, it didn't look like it was going to happen any time soon. It was even hard to find time to plan a party.

Dean and John's little fight wasn't an issue anymore. After the two of them promised that they had made up, the rest of the choir had accepted that. Garth kept ranting about the punishment he'd subject them to if they slipped up, but nobody took him seriously.

The twins had been on the fence on the subject for another week, but then it just faded away.

Dean had finally found a job, and worked almost every weekend at a garage not to far from their little apartment. In between football and choir practice, he struggled through the curriculum, and if it hadn't been for Sam helping him, he would have been screwed.

There was no denying the fact that the younger Winchester was a little genius compared to Dean. After midterms, Sam had been placed in advanced English and Math, but even with the extra workload, he still found time to tutor his big brother.

Charlie kept going like the Energizer bunny. She was the leader of computer club; she worked on the school newspaper as some kind of 'researcher', and if she had a spare moment, she rehearsed with the girls in the string ensemble. Everybody thought she was done with that when she joined New Directions, but she couldn't stay away.

After joining Glee-club, almost all the students in there had improved their grades. Jo and Unique were not among those. On the contrary; both of them had failed on a couple of tests during the fall. Their parents and their teachers had met up to discuss it, and one option had been to withdraw them from Glee Club.

Mr Evans didn't want to lose any of them, and he fought tooth and nail to prevent that from happening. With two straight-A students in club, he begged them to help out.

Castiel didn't hesitate for a second. His church choir was going to have a Christmas concert, and he was pretty much tied up, but he still promised to make time for Jo. He even offered to help Unique, but Mr Evans wanted her to be tutored by a Senior. Jane was a little more on the fence. Everybody wondered if it was because she was afraid of the competition from Unique, but when she caught wind of their concerns, she caved in and promised to help raise Unique's grades.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack had been working hard through the fall, and he didn't have to worry about his GPA anymore. He was still struggling with his Spanish, but with mostly B's in his other classes, he was safe in the choir.

The Spanish teacher, Mrs Lopez was tough, and she didn't take any crap from anybody. Jack had a feeling that she didn't like him much, so he'd tried to flirt his way into her heart. That had not gone around well.

He'd always known how to draw them; ever since he was a little boy, he had relied on his charm to get what he wanted. Over the years, he had often managed to sweet talk his teachers into raising his grades.

When he started high school, he had to change his game somewhat. The innocent batting of his eyes and his sometimes lame excuses for not doing his homework didn't cut it any longer.

His boyish charm that had been his best friend up until that point was perceived very differently when he, over the course of freshman year, suddenly grew into a man. The flirting that his elementary school and middle school teachers had found quite adorable, was now looked at as sexual innuendos.

As a sophomore, he got quite a reputation, and it was embarrassing to sit in the principal's office having to explain himself. His parents weren't any less embarrassed, and even if he swore that the rumors weren't true, he was forced to do things a little differently.

With a goal in life to end up on Broadway as a headliner, it wasn't easy to stay focused on the subjects in class, but he prevailed. He made a decision to get away from that school as soon as possible, even if it meant that he had to work twice as hard as he'd done so far.

He kept to himself and buried himself in school work in order to graduate early. It went quite well until Mrs Arby, the conductor of the school choir, went on her maternity leave. The substitute was a gorgeous twenty two year old guy, and Jack fell head over heels for him.

It wasn't a show choir; they pretty much only sang hymns and other boring stuff, but Jack had joined for the singing practice. He was better than most of them, so even if he skipped the sessions ever so often, Mrs Arby had let him stay.

His grades started to fail as he spent more time in the choir room than with his homework. He didn't care. He brushed the dust of his flirting skills and it didn't take long before Dan noticed. It still took three months before the two of them hooked up. The weekend they spent together wasn't as magical as Jack had expected it to be. He learned a lot that had nothing to do with the curriculum, but he also learned that love was a fleeting thing. Dan was not interested in him for any other reason than sex, and over the course of their limited time together, Jack got his heart broken.

When he met up for choir practice the next Monday, Mrs Arby was back, and he never saw Dan again.

More determined than ever, Jack did his best to pick up the pieces of himself and his failing grades. He didn't get that diploma, but he still left for New York and Broadway. He'd promised his parents to study on his spare time, and he lied out of his teeth when he told them that he would live with a friend that was a student as NYADA.

He did have a friend at that school, but he only promised to let him crash at his place for a week or so.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

John was still beating himself up after the little stunt he pulled after the party. He should not have let his emotions get the better of him. The fact that he was drunk did not excuse his actions, and now he'd gone and ruined the friendship he had with Ianto.

Even if they had agreed that it didn't mean anything, things had changed between them. They still hung out ever so often, but rarely alone. With everything going on at the moment, there wasn't really much time either, but John didn't find any comfort in that.

It didn't take a genius to understand that Ianto was avoiding him on purpose. The few times he'd been at the Jones' house after the infamous party, he had not been asked to spend the night. They hadn't even been in Ianto's room together, and Gwen was always with them in the basement.

"Sleigh bells ring

are you listening

In the lane

Snow is glistening…"

John was bored out of his mind with the carols they had to sing for the Christmas show. He was walking around that big tree on stage holding hands with the others, trying to look cheerful. The decision to arrange a concert to raise money for regionals had made it even harder to find time to mend things between him and Ianto.

Maybe it was too late anyway. Maybe he had to move on and forget about the Welshie. He looked over at Ianto and Jane as they ran backstage to get the styrofoam snowman.

"In the meadow we can build a snowman

and pretend that he's circus clown…"

Fake snow was falling from the ceiling as the rest of the choir pretended to have a snowball fight. John had to go and put the carrot-nose on the snowman, and then he had to take Ianto's and Jane's hands and dance around it with them.

It wasn't really choreographed, but it didn't matter. They were just supposed to look like happy kids enjoying the winter and the holidays. Ianto seemed happy, but then again, he could be faking it just as John did himself.

Mr Evans applauded as he came up on stage after the song was over. "I think this dress rehearsal went well. Are you all ready for tomorrow?" He knew that the choir hadn't been too thrilled about doing this show, but they were committed and had put in their best effort. He held up the little ticket book. "And we are almost sold out."

It hadn't been hard to sell this performance. The ticket price was ridiculously low, but with a packed venue, they had enough money for regionals. That was even after having to pay for the stage decorations themselves. They also had to share some of the proceeds with dance class and orchestra, but it was still sufficient funding. Since the school had promised to meet them halfway, they were pretty much set for the competition.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**A bittersweet end of the semester**

Most of the songs they'd picked for the show weren't focusing on the biblical message of Christmas. With the different denominations and religious views of the student body, they didn't want to offend anybody, but they added a couple regardless.

Castiel would be the lead singer on 'Oh holy night', and all the girls were going to sing the upbeat 'Hanukkah, oh Hanukkah', just to even things a bit.

The dancers ran out on stage to get ready for the first number. The girls were wearing flowing long red dresses with white trim, and the boys had red pants and sparkling white jackets. They were dancing to 'Waltz of the Flowers' from 'Nutcracker'. Half way through, the beat changed and they'd start rocking.

Dean and Unique were nervously awaiting their cue. The rest of the choir was ready to go as soon as soon as the orchestra left Tchaikovsky behind. The two lead singers walked arm in arm out on stage.

"Rocking around the Christmas tree

at the Christmas party hop…"

Most of the dancers were swinging while a couple of them pushed the oversized fake fir onto the stage.

"Mistletoe hung where you can see

every couple tries to stop…"

Behind Dean and Unique, everybody on stage pretended to kiss before they continued with their thing. The dancers danced and the choir did their background humming. It was well done so far, and considering the fact that they only had two weeks to rehearse this, it was quite awesome.

"You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear

voices singing let's be jolly

deck the halls with boughs of holly…"

The dancers left one by one towards the end of the song, and as Dean and Unique sung the last few lines, they only had the choir behind them.

"...Everyone's dancing merrily in the new old fashioned waaaaay…"

The stage went completely dark. Soon, a lonely spotlight captured an old piano, and Brad hitting a few chords. Another spotlight caught Ianto as he walked up to the microphone.

"It was Christmas eve, babe

in the drunk tank.

An old man said to me

won't see another one…"

Ianto delivered. He must have been smoking heavily and had a few whiskeys, because his voice resembled that of Shane MacGowan. The string ensemble with Charlie on the violin came into view when another three spotlights were turned on. The rest of the stage was still quite dark, but those with good eyesight could see that there were more people hiding in the shadows.

"...I can see a better place

when all our dreams come true."

Lights came on revealing the band, and then Gwen came slowly walking across the stage. The overall picture was still somewhat gloomy, but the audience was now able to see everyone that was there.

As soon as the band upped the beat, Gwen grabbed a microphone and leaned on the piano.

"They've got cars big as bars

they've got rivers of gold…"

The contempt in her voice was very convincing. She stepped away from the piano and walked up to Ianto as she kept singing.

"When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas eve

You promised me Broadway was waiting for me…"

The two cousins looked at each other and continued to sing flawlessly. Gwen had really come a long way. Nobody ever doubted that Ianto was capable when the two of them wanted to do this song together. Mr Evans had suggested that he should sing with Jo instead, but Ianto had refused to do it without Gwen.

"The boys of the NYPD choir

were singing 'Galway bay'

and the bells were ringing out for Christmas day…"

The choir joined in as the song continued. Will was still worried about how this Christmas song would be received by the audience. It was a bit controversial, and they hadn't gotten to the 'good' part yet.

"You scumbag, you maggot

you cheap lousy faggot

Happy Christmas you ass

I pray God it's our last…."

Gwen's lines were delivered with confidence, and the way she looked at Ianto as she sang it made it totally believable. The rest of of the guys back there sang the chorus, and they did great as well.

"I could have been someone." It looked like Ianto practically spat on Gwen as he sang the line.

She replied very well, and pretended to lash out for him

"Well so could anyone

You took my dreams from me

when I first found you…"

During the end of the song, Will turned to look at the audience. Except for the first couple of rows, he couldn't see much, but it didn't look too bad. He knew that some of them could possibly find this song too offensive, and he braced himself for a confrontation on Monday. He was ready; he would defend these kids till the end if he had to.

They lightened up the mood with 'Rudolf the rednosed reindeer', and the 'Hanukkah song' before Castiel sang 'O holy night'. The whole choir was standing behind him holding lit candles in their hands. He sang almost the whole song alone with the choir humming softly in the background, but on the last verse, they all joined in. It was powerful and absolutely perfect. Maybe this would keep the parents in there happy.

They sang a couple of other traditional upbeat Christmas songs before they left the stage to the orchestra. They played another piece from The Nutcracker, 'The dance of the sugar plum fairy'. Dance class at McKinley didn't really focus on classical ballet, but one of the girls had volunteered to do this. She had been doing the ballet since she was four and looked at it as an opportunity to show off her skills.

The girl did very well, receiving standing ovations from the audience. She had to bow several times before the applause started to die out. As soon as it was quiet, the girl tiptoed to the side and grabbed Jack's hand leading him to the center of the stage. She did a little pirouette before she ran away earning another short applause.

The band shuffled in and grabbed their instruments that were sitting in the corner of the stage. A curtain was drawn behind them covering the orchestra, and even if they did their best to be quiet, it was possible to hear the sound of them leaving just before the band started playing covering their exit.

"I'm driving home for Christmas

oh, I can't wait to see those faces…"

Jack started singing. The big Christmas tree got pushed out on stage again by a couple of stagehands, while the rest of the choir trickled in one by one. They were dressed up in winter clothes, and as Jack continued singing, Jo came up to him with a coat.

"…it's gonna take some time

but I'll get there…"

She helped him get the coat on before she joined the others putting decorations on the tree. Some went to get Christmas wrapped boxes and placed them under the tree.

"Driving home for Christmas

with a thousand memories

I take a look at the driver next to me

he's just the same, ...he's driving home

driving home, driving home for Christmas…"

As soon as Jack had finished the song he joined the others, and as the band changed the tune the tree got lit up by hundreds of tiny lights.

They ended the show with 'Winter wonderland', and when they all lined up to take a bow, the whole audience got out of their seats to cheer.

"Merry Christmas everybody." They shouted and waved to the crowd. As the curtain was drawn, they started hugging each other before they slipped out through the closing curtain and lined up for a last bow in front of it.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack was leaving to spend Christmas with his family. Jo and Garth also had some family things going on outside of town, and John and his mother were going to Hawaii for the holidays. The rest of Glee-club would stay in Lima and celebrate with their folks.

Dean and Sam hadn't hear a word from their dad for weeks, and the lease of their little apartment was up shortly. Dean made enough money at the garage to keep them fed and clothed, and with the latest check from their father, they had a little extra for the holidays. He had tried his best to save some more, but it still wasn't enough to pay the rent.

Sam was perfectly aware of the situation, although Dean had tried to keep the gritty truth from him. If he could only get a job himself, they could possibly have made it, but nobody wanted to hire a fifteen year old.

The only thing he could hope for, was that their dad by some miracle would manage to cough up the $2000 they needed to stay in this place until school was over. Time was running out because the rent was due on January first. They could of course pay for a week or a month at the time, but it would be more expensive. Even so, at the moment they only had enough for one week, and that was if they skipped a meal or three.

Sam remembered a few really crappy Christmases, but this one was probably going to be the worst one ever. The whore next door had invited them over for dinner on Christmas eve, but Sam was not comfortable with that. Dean had a totally different view on it. "Free food. How can you say no to free food?"

Their friend didn't know how bad it was, although Kevin probably had a hunch. He knew where they were living even if Sam had never taken him there. The 'rathole', as he so poetically named it, had a bad reputation which Kevin was totally aware of.

They did go for dinner next door. It was a free meal, and they couldn't really afford to turn it down. Rita's apartment was a bit bigger than theirs. The living room was about the same size, but she had a real bedroom and a regular kitchen.

It was kind of cramped around the small dining table, and she had to carve the turkey at the kitchen counter. "One of my regulars gets very generous at this time of year." She smiled as she put big slices of meat on their plates. "He brought the bird, and I can't possibly eat it all by myself."

They both knew that Rita was high on meth, and she could barely managed to sit still for more than a few minutes at the time. After the meal she offered them some weed, which Dean happily accepted. Sam did take a couple of hits from the pipe, but decided to stick with the beer.

Rita mellowed a little after that, and managed to stay put through the movie they decided to watch. At two o'clock in the morning she got a little antsy again, and provided with a good portion of turkey and roast potatoes piled on a plate, the two boys got practically pushed out in the hall.

They slept in. There were no reason to get up early on Christmas morning. Santa wouldn't come, so there wouldn't be any packages under the tree. They didn't even have a tree either, but Sam had drawn one on the wall, and they had had a bit of fun the other day pinning the few decorations they had on it.

After feasting on the leftovers from last night, they just sat there. Dean was strumming his guitar, and Sam was browsing the internet. The only good thing about this place was the free WiFi.

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly…"

Suddenly they heard singing from the hall. "Carolers, here?" Dean stopped playing and looked at his brother.

"Fa la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Tis the season to be jolly

Fa la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la…"

Seconds later there was a knock on the door. The singing continued, and as Sam ran over to open it, he recognized one of the voices.

The singing stopped abruptly as he unlocked the door and opened it. "We couldn't get away any earlier, but now we're here." Kevin smiled as he entered. Ianto and Gwen came up behind him. "Hiya, Sam… Dean. Merry Christmas." Dean resembled a stroke victim the way his mouth moved without a sound coming out. It didn't get any better when Castiel entered struggling with a big bag.


	16. it's a Merry Christmas after all

The impromptu Christmas party is going well until a phone call threatens to ruin the mood. Again, Dean has a hard time controlling his anger. Cas tries to sooth him, but it doesn't go so well. Eventually he mellows, and the party continues until they all pass out.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi - M/L: Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora**

**You are my sunshine - M/L: Credited to Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell (Subject of some controversy)**

* * *

**Friends are always welcome**

"Nice place." Gwen rolled her eyes as she helped Castiel lift the bag up on the table. She looked at the poorly drawn tree on the wall. "That's just… Who's the artist?" Sam noticed that her eyes watered up, and he felt very self conscious. "I did that. We had a bit of fun." He smiled to her. He knew that it wasn't the drawing itself that made her tear up, she was feeling sorry for them in general.

It was very uncomfortable, and glancing at Dean, Sam noticed that his brother also looked a little embarrassed. He did his best to hide it by joking about when they closed their eyes and tried to pin the decorations on the tree.

Kevin clapped his hands and panned the room. "Let's dig in." He opened the bag before he turned to Sam. "It's kind of boring hanging with the old folks on a night like this. We wanted to be with our friends."

Everything in the bag was wrapped, although most of the items were easily recognizable. A bottle of vodka left from the party at Ianto's, and the unmistakable shape of a football were two of those. "Thought maybe we could go out and toss a ball around." Kevin shrugged. "Sorry, but it's a regift. I got it for Christmas last year, but it has never been used."

They unwrapped a tin of cookies and then a twelve pack of beer which Ianto hurried to stick in the fridge. "The vodka is from the party, but Gwen manage to get Rhiannon to buy the beer for us."

Most of the presents weren't marked. "It's like. We will all share these." Gwen ripped the paper of a carton of cranberry juice before she dug into the bag again. "This is for you though." She handed out a couple of packages with Sam and Dean's name written with marker on the outside. They contained t-shirts and some toiletries. "Yes, I know. Not very inventive." She laughed as she opened the vodka bottle and gestured for Ianto to get glasses.

They all got a good laugh when Dean unwrapped a small angel, and hurried to stand up in front of the drawing of the tree. He closed his eyes and tried to hit the top, but missed by almost a foot.

They didn't have enough seating for so many visitors, but Gwen sat on her knees at the table as she started to mix drinks. "I was going for 'Sex on the beach' but I don't have…" She paused when the boys were unable to cover up a chuckle. "Oh, come on." She sighed and shook her head. "What can I expect from a group of tossers?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean was pretty much been pleasantly surprised by the visit. He had joked about their crappy living conditions to Gwen. She was clearly not aware of how bad it really was, but she handled it fine. With Gwen knowing, it was probably inevitable that Ianto had an idea as well. Kevin was also more or less informed through tidbits from both Sam and Dean.

That Castiel was standing in their sorry excuse for a home was a little more disturbing. If there was one person he didn't want any pity from, it was him. Dean tried to take it in the stride, and he made a few jokes as they unwrapped the items in the bag.

Even if they kind of knew what almost everything was before they took the paper off, it was kind of fun to pretend. The t-shirt and the deodorant was all Gwen, and he was happy about that. He didn't want to be in any debts to Castiel either.

When Ianto started looking for glasses, Dean had to help him. They didn't have more than five, and two of them were dirty, so he had to dig deep into the cupboard and managed to find a few plastic cups.

He'd rather have a beer, but when Gwen mixed those 'not-quite-sex-on-the-beach-but-close drinks, he had to take one. It wasn't bad, but a little too sticky for his taste.

The bag was empty now, but there was still one present left. It was a simple and quite fat envelope. Kevin reached for it. "And then this. It's for you." He threw a peek at Dean as he handed it to Sam. "I know how it's been for you lately, so we had a… a… we made a little, er… just take it."

Sam opened the envelope and Dean could see that it contained a stack of bills. Sam ran his finger over the money. "We, er, I can't take this." Dean couldn't see much it was, but from the quick glimpse, he knew that it was at least a few twenties in there. "How…?" Sam sounded both embarrassed and also a little angry, but he managed to stay calm. "What do you think you're doing?"

Castiel leaned over and looked at him. "It's what friends are for. This is not charity. This is to make sure that you'll stay in Lima and that Dean can be a part of New Directions. The faint blush that appeared on his cheek was quite cute. "It's selfish really. We don't want to lose you."

Their friends obviously knew more about their situation than Dean was aware of. Kevin revealed that he had done a little research after Sam had complained about their father's whereabouts and that they hoped he would come before the rent was due. It was supposed to be a secret that they lived there alone, so Dean got a little annoyed with his brother.

After making a couple of calls and pulling in a few favors, Kevin had decided to try to make this Christmas memorable for the Winchester brothers. He had tried to get more of their friends to join, but Ianto, Gwen, and Castiel were the only ones that managed to get away from their families.

Sam looked at the money again. "But I… No, this is not right." He knew they needed the money, and it pained Dean to watch as Sam pushed the envelope into Castiel's hand. The guy shook his head. "Look at it as pay for your services. Mr Evans needs an assistant, and we convinced him that you were it. It's basically slave labor, and there's really no money in it, so we figured we could…"

Dean wasn't interested in charity either, but he could live with that. Sam still didn't look convinced. "Mr Evans needed an assistant, yeah right? You invented that position, didn't you?" Again he ran his finger over the money, and this time he seemed to actually try to count it.

"Mr Evans is very unorganized, and he frequently misplaces things." Kevin shook his head. "You all know that he has another job because 'Choir Director' doesn't pay much, right?" Dean kind of knew, but he'd never thought much of it. He remembered that Charlie had offered to organized the sheet music music for him, but the girl had too many balls in the air as it was so it fell through.

"He's right. Sam Evans probably needs you. He tries to do everything himself, but you know…" Dean wanted to give his brother a good reason to accept the money, because he couldn't bare to see them slip out of their hands. Charity or not, in a week or so they could be out on the streets sleeping in the car.

"It must be almost three hundred dollars in here, that's… a lot." Sam was still holding on to it as he looked at the others. "Actually, it's three hundred and eighty. You're lousy at counting." Gwen pretended to be annoyed before she smiled widely. "You will also be our roadie for regionals. That is really slave labor. Brad is going to bust your ass."

With that money they would be covered for another month, and hopefully their dad would show up or send a check before January was over. As if on cue, Dean's phone emitted the ringtone he used for when Mr Winchester called.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Merry Christmas, son. I'm sorry I couldn't be there, but I got this job…" Dean had withdrawn into the little alcove before he picked up. He wanted to yell and scream, but managed to keep it down knowing that his friends were keenly listening in. "Merry Christmas to you too, I guess." He clenched his teeth for a second. "We will be on the streets next month if…"

He could hear his dad clear his throat so he paused for a moment to let the man deliver his lame excuse. "They would pay almost double if we could work over the holidays, so I figured it would be okay. I sent a check to cover you for a couple of weeks. You should have it in good time before the rent is due."

It wasn't only the money. Their dad had left him and Sam to fend for themselves. They had to lie and fake his signature on a regular basis because they didn't want anybody to know that they were on their own. Social services could come at any time if the truth was revealed. That Dean was eighteen and technically and adult would probably not mean thing. He wasn't cut out to be his brothers guardian, and he was pretty sure the authorities would agree.

"I'm busy." Dean had so much more to say, but he didn't want to say it with his friends present. "We have company." Daddy John sighed audibly. "Okay, but I'll be there soon. We can spend some quality time together, and you can tell me what's going on with you guys. It'll be fun."

Dean couldn't take it any longer. "You don't care what's going on with us. If you did, you would have been here and acted like a parent." He drew his breath. "Just make sure that we have money for rent. That's all I really care about." He knew he was loud, and it didn't surprise him when Sam entered and tried to shush him. "I'm sorry you feel like that, but I'm out here trying to make some money for all of us." Mr Winchester's voice sounded a bit sad, and against his will, Dean felt tears building up in his eyes.

He peeked through the curtain and saw that the others did their best to pretend not to be listening in. "Yeah, well. Make sure that it will cover the rent, I'm not leaving Lima." He felt that he was about to crack, and he had to rub his eyes. They hadn't had a normal family life since their mom died, but for the most part they had at least had daddy around. He knew he had to end this conversation. He could handle the fact that the guys in there felt sorry for them because of their living conditions. He had also decided that they could accept the money even if it was some kind of charity. What he couldn't do was to cry in front of them. "Dad, I… See you soon, I got to go." He hung up and threw the phone on the bed.

It was pretty clear that Sam had noticed the glazed look in his eyes, and he was about to say something. Dean didn't let him. He struggled hard to compose himself as he pushed his brother away. "Don't. Don't you dare." He turned away while he clandestinely wiped his eyes again.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Dark skies and dark minds**

The call from Mr Winchester, and Dean's reaction to it, put a little damper on the party. As soon as Sam was back, he went and put on some music in an attempt to liven up things a bit. Dean stayed behind in that little closet of a bedroom, and Sam explained that he was a bit angry and frustrated at the moment, but that he'd come around shortly.

It took more than a few minutes before Dean emerged. Castiel threw quick peeks at the curtain, hoping that the guy wouldn't stay in there forever, but then he finally came out. He didn't come over, he just walked straight to the door. "I need something from the car. I'll be back soon." He turned to them briefly. "I'm fine by the way."

Dean didn't look fine, but if he needed a little bit of alone time to settle down after the conversation with his father, Castiel could understand. He had never experienced this kind of abandonment. His father had been around all his life, but there were some similarities between them regardless.

The lack of understanding, and the almost complete disregard of his son's feelings had a very familiar ring to it. Being the youngest child, Castiel had been pampered and coddled by the whole family after his mother died, but he always felt that they did it out of duty, not because they really cared about how he felt.

Castiel didn't for a moment think that his dad didn't love him, but the man was quite unable to show any real emotions. Mr Winchester probably loved his sons very much, but he too obviously had a hard time facing reality and seeing what they really needed.

Gwen handed him another drink. "Come on Cas. Where were you? Lost in space or something?" She lifted her glass for a toast. Cas shook his head and smiled at her. "I was just thinking about what my dad would say if he saw me now." He took a sip. He'd had a couple of her concoctions already, and started to feel a little buzzed. The rest of the boys had gone for the beer instead, but Castiel didn't like the taste of it.

"...another place where the faces are so cold

I drive all night just to get back home…"

Kevin and Ianto were singing along with Jon Bon Jovi, and almost competed on who could be the loudest when they hit the chorus.

"I'm a cowboy

on a steel horse I ride

I'm wanted

Dead or alive."

Sam tried to get Gwen to play another round of 'pin the decoration on the tree'. The younger Winchester had done his best to try to make them forget about the phone call, and he'd succeeded somewhat.

When almost twenty minutes had gone by without Dean coming back, Castiel started to get a little antsy. The guy was angry when he left, and Cas wondered if he'd gone and done something stupid. He wasn't that drunk, so if he'd taken the car for a ride it would probably be okay, but Castiel really wanted to check.

Gwen was blindfolded and Sam was twirling her around before she lifted the little angel and tried to get it closer to the top of the tree than Dean had managed. Ianto had grabbed Dean's guitar, while Kevin was busy searching for some music on his Ipod.

Castiel seized the moment and snuck out. They would probably notice very shortly, but he just didn't want any awkward questions.

The hall was dark and gloomy. There was a ceiling lamp a floor up, but the light it emitted didn't reach very far. Castiel flicked a switch on the wall, but nothing happened. He looked up and noticed that the lamp on this floor didn't even have a bulb.

He just shrugged. He could still see where he was going. The front door was only half a flight down, and through the little window next to it, he could see that a street lamp lit up part of the stoop outside.

A door slammed shut somewhere upstairs, and then he could hear the sound of someone coming down. Castiel rushed to the front door and hurried outside. He couldn't see Dean anywhere, and suddenly he felt very alone and vulnerable. This neighborhood had a bad reputation.

He sighed in relief when he laid eyes on the Impala and saw Dean sitting in the driver's seat. He was too scared to even think about what the guy would say when he ran over to the car and jumped into the passenger seat. "Hi. I, er, we wondered where you were. Sorry, I…"

He looked back at the house and saw an older man come out the door. He headed towards a car parked in the shadow of the building, and Cas saw the little flash of light indicating that he unlocked with a remote. He did not look like someone who'd live in a place like that.

Dean had turned his head, and now he followed Castiel's line of view. "Oh. Did he scare you? He's harmless." He looked away again. "I guess the hookers are working through the holidays as well." He lifted his hand and took a sip from a bottle of whiskey. "So they sent you out to look for me, eh?"

There was probably no point in lying. "No, I kind of decided myself. I think maybe I was the only one worrying." He swallowed and waited for Dean's response, but nothing happened. "I just… I was a little bit bored, so I…" With a small chuckle he dared to look at Dean. "It's just that we came to hang out with you guys, and I didn't want you to be alone."

Dean cocked his head. "I'm not alone. I'm with my friend 'Jack Daniels'." He shook the bottle before he took another sip. "Technically Rita's friend, but she let me have it."

Castiel wondered who Rita was, but didn't ask. He worried that it could be a girlfriend, and he really didn't want to know. "Your 'friend' can join the party as well you know." He pointed to the bottle. "Maybe someone else in there will like him."

It took a little while before Dean said anything. Cas waited patiently, but was not prepared for what came. "It's a pity that John couldn't be here. Where is he? In Waikiki or something? He could probably have kept you company, so you wouldn't have to be so bored." The sudden change of topic and the hint of acid in Dean's voice surprised Cas greatly, and he had no idea how to respond.

"A pity party is not my idea of a good time, so you can shove your concern somewhere where the sun won't shine." Dean put the bottle to his mouth and gulped down a good amount. "You and Gwen and Kevin and everybody else can leave me the fuck alone, and go on with your lives. I'm done." He slammed his fist into the dashboard.

Castiel reacted on pure instinct. He was hurt and quite pissed off, but he knew that Dean was feeling much worse. He scooted over and wrapped his arm around Dean's neck. "You are making me very angry. I want to punch you, but I know I wouldn't stand a chance in a fight with you." Dean scoffed and tried to push him away, but Cas held on. "I may have a big family and a nice house, but you know nothing. We all have our struggles, even if they can be a little different."

Dean grabbed Castiel's wrist and forced his arm away. "Don't… If you're trying to make me feel better, that is not the way. Save it for someone who cares." He pushed Cas and reached for the door handle. "Save it for…" The end of the sentence got cut off when the door slammed shut. Cas got out as well and he ran around the car when it looked like Dean was about to fall over. He was obviously seriously drunk after spending some time alone with 'Mr Daniels'.

Not quite ready to accept any help, Dean held onto the sideview mirror as he struggled to find his footing. Cas hesitated for a split second before he grabbed him and pulled him into an embrace. "You are the most stupid and stubborn person I have ever met. Don't you understand that I like you…" He instantly regretted his words. "WE like you, but you're not making it very easy for us."

Dean was holding on to the car with one hand and he still had the bottle in the other so he didn't really reciprocate the embrace. The sound of the bottle smashing into the ground and shatter, startled Castiel for a second, but then he had Dean's hand on his cheek. "Oh, Choirboy. You have no idea how little it means to me right now to be liked by everybody else."

Castiel started trembling. Dean's lips were inches from his, and the urge to close the gap was overwhelming. Dean's fingers caressed the skin on his neck before he pulled his hand away quite abruptly. "It's okay. I'm okay. Let's join the others. I'm sure they are wondering what we are up to." Another weird change in Dean's mood didn't surprise Castiel any less than the first time it happened. He let go of Dean and even if he felt somewhat relieved, he was also disturbingly disappointed.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They hadn't planned how to get home. When they went to pick up Kevin and Castiel to go to the Winchesters, Gwen and Ianto never really decided on who would be the designated driver. She knew that she couldn't do it, and when she looked at her cousin, she realized that he should probably not get behind a wheel any time soon. Ianto was still holding Dean's guitar, but he was more cuddling it than actually playing, and his head was bobbing as he tried to stay awake.

Kevin was still reasonably alert, but not in any state to drive. Regardless, the guy didn't even have a licence. He and Sam had come up with another stupid game, and wanted the rest of them to participate. "I'll just name a state, and you have to make a rhyme or sing a song with it's Nickname."

Gwen didn't know what he was talking about. *Nickname? I don't even know what that means." She shook her head. "You Americans are so strange." She looked at Ianto, but he didn't seem to be very aware of what was going on around him. In between dozing off, he was still trying to strum the guitar.

"FLORIDA." Kevin shouted it out. "That one should be easy. Any takers?" Sam was about to say something, but Kevin shushed him. "No, not you. Sorry, but you will get a harder one."

Dean had barely been able to stand on his feet when he and Castiel came inside, but he seemed to have gotten a second wind. "I know, I know. Er… I can do this one." He cleared his throat.

"You are my sunshine

my only sunshine

You make me happy

when skies are gray…"

He paused. "Do I have to sing the whole song or…?"

"You never know dear

how much I love you…"

Gwen noticed the look he gave Castiel as he sang the lines, and she got very intrigued by it. She was a faghag at heart, and found it very interesting. Nobody else seemed to have noticed, not even Castiel himself. It could of course just be her own vivid imagination playing tricks on her, but she still remembered what happened at the party. She didn't believe John's explanation for a second.

"That's just silly. Some of the states have really weird nicknames." Castiel threw his hands out and sighed. "I mean, how can you come up with something for 'The Mount Rushmore state' for instance?" He was sitting in the only chair in the apartment and seemed almost sober.

"Oh, I know. I know this one. It's Dakota." Gwen smiled widely when she realized that she finally thought she'd understood the concept. Kevin cocked his head and gave her a crooked smile. "Well, yeah, sort of. There's two Dakota's though."

The whole game fell apart after that, and Gwen didn't learn which Dakota Kevin was talking about. Not that she cared so much; the concept was stupid anyway.

Shortly after that, Sam just vanished. Gwen didn't even notice before Dean pulled away the curtain covering their sleeping quarters to fetch a blanket for Kevin. The guy had suddenly just keeled over on the floor and passed out.

Gwen could see Sam in the bottom bunk. He was completely out, and didn't even react when his brother almost stepped on him to reach the shelf above the top bunk.

"If you guys planned to spend the night here, you made a bad decision." Dean draped the blanket over Kevin before he slumped back down on the couch next to Ianto. "I don't care. If you can make yourself comfortable, it's okay with me." He nodded towards Kevin. "That was my only spare blanket."

"Maybe I'll just sit here till I sober up enough to drive." Gwen threw a peek at Ianto. "He can not get us home." Ianto had fallen asleep with the guitar clenched to his chest. It could look like he was trying to get some warmth from it, but that was of course never going to happen.

Castiel threw a peek at Dean before he addressed Gwen. "I kind of...I, I brought a bag. I knew where we were going, and I was afraid that the apartment would be too cold." He looked a little embarrassed. "I didn't know. Sorry Dean, but I've heard a little too much about these buildings, and I didn't count on that you had central heating."

Gwen hadn't even thought about it. With six bodies emitting heat as they sang and fooled around, the temperature had been quite acceptable. In the middle of the night, when sleep was about to catch up with them it didn't feel so warm and cozy anymore. Castiel got up from the chair. "It's only two small blankets, but I left it in the car. Do you have the keys?"

"Are you sure you want to go and get them yourself"? Dean chuckled a little as Gwen got up to dig the car keys out of her pocket. "I mean… that old man scared you earlier, and there could be other old men out there."

He was obviously referring to something that happened when Cas went out to find Dean. "Why don't you go with him then, if you are so concerned?" She immediately got an image in her head of the two boys huddled together in the cold, 'accidentally' touching each other. She had to look away for a second, because it was almost a bit arousing to think of.

"Come to think of it, I have a blanket in my car. I'll get that one as well." Dean got up and headed for the door. "Give me the keys, I'll get yours." Reluctantly, Gwen handed him the keys as she threw a peek at Cas. The pleasant pictures in her head got shattered when the boy nodded but stayed seated.

"Are you a poofter?" As soon as Dean was out the door, Gwen scooted over to Castiel and blurted out the question. "I mean, like... are you gay?" Cas stared at her for the longest time, and she wondered if she'd even get an answer before Dean was back. "Uh, I, no. No I am not. That's very rude. Why do you even…"

Gwen sighed. "Okay, okay. But I'll tell you that Dean likes you. I think he does anyway. I mean 'like you', like you." She shrugged. "I've seen the looks he sends you, so if you're not interested, you should probably tell him."

Castiel stared at her with his adorable blue eyes. "Dean is not, er, gay. You're making this up." Until tonight she hadn't been too sure, but the signs were piling up. That Castiel denied that he was gay was just silly. She didn't believe him for a second, but decided not to pursue it. He was probably just not ready to come out yet.

"Forget it then. Sorry. I'm just… If you want to…" She wasn't quite sure how to put it and before she had managed to come up with anything, Dean was back.

"You can take my bed if you want." He looked at Gwen. "I can be a gentleman if I want to, and since you're the only girl, I figured…" He just pointed to the alcove and shrugged. "The rest of us can rough it out here."


	17. Bye, bye Hawaii

John is inviting everybody to a party, but he has to plan most of it while sitting on a plane. Some of the students have to lie to their parents to be able to attend, and some need a little help from their friends.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Angel City - Motörhead - M/L: Lemmy Kilmister**

**Wild Horses - The Rolling Stones - M/L: Jagger &amp; Richards**

* * *

**Invitations**

'**John Hart **Invited you to his event **NEW YEARS PARTY**'

Jack hadn't checked 'facebook' since before Christmas, and got a little taken aback when he read the notification. He hadn't plan to go back to Lima for another four days, but this looked very interesting.

'Let's have Luau.

Midwinter Hawaiian party at my place.'

John had posted a few pictures from his little holiday to go with the invite. 'Campfire fun' was the caption on the picture of him late at night in a ghastly hawaiian shirt making a toast with a very colorful drink. A big bonfire was visible behind him.

Another one read: 'The girls are very friendly.' John was standing between two girls in hula skirts. He looked extremely pale compared to them.

'Put on your most colorful costume and join the fun.'

Except for a couple of people, Jack knew everybody who was invited. Quite a few of them had accepted already; there was one 'maybe', while Ianto and Gwen along with a couple of others, were still pending.

If he left in the morning, he'd make it to the party in time. Jack knew that his parents would be very disappointed, but he didn't care. He was bored out of his mind staying in the house. The few friends he thought he had here were not interested in spending time with him. They had all graduated, and most of them were in college.

Jack hadn't done much to keep them when he struggled through his junior year in order to graduate early, and during his time in New York, he'd never contacted any of them.

Going back to Lima where he felt that he had made true friends seemed like a very good idea. In New Directions he was accepted for who he was, and he didn't have to smooth talk himself into their hearts.

Without anymore hesitation, he pressed 'join'. That he had only a few hours to get his shit together was a minor issue. The confrontation with his parents would be worse. Not that bad though; they had tried to keep him from going to New York without success, so this would be a cakewalk.

Jack dug his suitcase out of the closet and started packing. He bundled up the dirty clothes and stuck them in a plastic bag before he shoved them in too. He didn't have time to do laundry.

All he needed to do after that was to tell his parents, and then get a good night's sleep before he took off.

Two consecutive pings from his phone made him curious, and he hurried to pick it up.

'Ianto Jones and Gwen Cooper commented on an event you are attending.'

Jack checked back on the page, and discovered that both of them had joined. Gwen had commented with a smiley and a party emoji, while Ianto apologized for the delayed reply.

The joy he had felt looking forward to see his friends again got heightened when Jack read it. He really liked Ianto a lot and was very happy that he'd decided to come as well.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

John had barely ever had anybody come to his house. Over the years, he'd made friends aplenty, but he didn't like to bring them home. There was more than enough space for whoever he wanted to invite, but he always felt that they didn't come for him.

Everybody was just eager to explore the big house, and wasn't interested in sitting in John's quite spacious room to play games or sing or whatever else he wanted to do.

When he joined Glee-club and made new friends, he decided not to tell them anything about his homelife. He wanted them to get to know him for who he was, and not the rich, spoiled kid living in a mansion.

Keeping his address a secret worked for a while, but it soon leaked. At that time he felt accepted already, and curiously enough, none of them ever started bugging him about giving them a tour. He knew that Ianto was curious to begin with when he learned the truth, but he didn't pursue it. Gwen and Jo had been a little more forward about it, but they too calmed down over time.

Dean and that tall lanky brother of his were the only two people from school that had set foot in the house over the last year, and even if they looked quite impressed, they had been cool about it.

He and his mom were supposed to stay in Hawaii over New Year, but a phone call cut the vacation short. She apologized to him when she suddenly had to go to Tokyo, and told him that he could stay there alone if he wanted to.

Given the choice, John decided to go home. He missed his friends and even if Hawaii was nice, he felt really lonely there. Without his mom, it would be even worse.

John sat up the facebook page on a whim the last night before he left the island and hoped that it wouldn't be too late. Maybe they all had other plans for New years eve already. He didn't get any takers before he went to bed, but it wasn't so strange. It was very early morning back home.

With a bar filled to the brim, and a cellar with more than a hundred bottles of wine, he didn't have to worry about having enough alcohol for his guests. His mom always brought a lot of the stuff from all her travels, but she didn't really drink much herself.

Knowing that most of his friends preferred beer or coolers, he decided to get some just in case. With the right amount of money, he'd get anyone to buy it for him, so that wouldn't be a problem either.

He didn't get time to check in on facebook until he was seated on the plane the next day. He discovered that he already had six guests. It was looking pretty good, but he still decided to give the rest of them a call if they didn't reply during the first leg of the flight.

Time was running out, because with the sudden departure the trip would take almost eighteen hours. He'd tried to avoid a too long layover in Los Angeles, but it was impossible on this short notice. John didn't worry about it. There wasn't really much to do except to buy beer and haul in the guests.

"...I wanna feel a little danger,

Feel a little stranger,

Angel City tonight…"

John wasn't too crazy with the heavy metal, but Ianto had uploaded a few songs to his phone just for fun. He had selected a random playlist just to pass the time, and it was quite fitting that this song came on just as the plane was about to land at LAX.

"All of the time,

I'm gonna kick ass,

I'm gonna spit broken glass,

I'm gonna shoot out all of your lights,

I wanna eat dirt,

I'm gonna eat my own shirt,

Angel City tonight,

Angel City

Angel City…"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After the Christmas party at the Winchesters place, Castiel had gotten quite an earful from his dad. He was never supposed to have left in the first place, but when Kevin called and told him what they were up to, he snuck out.

He did call Gabriel and told him that he had to help a friend who was abandoned by his parents, and his brother promised that it would be okay. They still expected him to come home that night.

When he failed to do that, they had been a little concerned, but after a quick text confirming that he was fine and would spend the night, he thought that that was it.

Gwen took him home in the morning after the worst sleepover he'd ever been to.

He and Ianto shared the couch, but the two small blankets he had brought forced them to curl up in a fetal position in order to get covered. Ianto was already fast asleep, and they had to pry the guitar out of his hands before they draped the blanket over him.

Curled up on the other end of the couch, Castiel tried to make himself comfortable, but it wasn't easy. The couch was easily big enough for the two of them when they lied with their heads on the armrests at each end, but it was still extremely uncomfortable.

Dean opted to sleep on the floor. He didn't seem to have any problems falling asleep, but that old blanket he found in his car stunk of motor oil. It didn't make it any easier on Castiel, so when Gwen got up in the morning and decided that she was sober enough to drive, it felt like he hadn't slept a wink.

His father met him at the door when he came home, and he was clearly angry already. When he discovered the faint scent of alcohol on Castiel's breath he'd almost flipped out. The man had almost never lost his temper, but this time he was on the edge. Castiel secretly hoped that he'd crack, because he wanted to see his dad show some emotion, even if it was pure rage.

It didn't happen.

After a whole day shut into his room, only allowed to come out for meals, Castiel got piled up with so many chores that he'd be very busy until school was back. He was pretty sure that he would never be allowed to attend the New Years party at John's house, so he knew he had to concoct a plan to get there.

He'd seen that Gwen was going to attend, and decided to ask her for help. He worried a little that she'd continue the line of questions she'd started when they were alone, but she was the only one he could think of that would do this without too much fuss.

"...Wild horses couldn't drag me away

Wild, wild horses we'll ride them some day

Wild horses couldn't drag me away

Wild, wild horses we'll ride them some day."

Castiel caught the end of the Rolling Stones song as he passed his brothers room and he nodded to himself. Wild horses couldn't drag him away from this party.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**White lies and elaborate stories**

"I thought he was going to stay in Hawaii till school is back. What happened?" Gwen was posing in front of Ianto in the new outfit she'd got for Christmas. "Can I wear this? I want to, but he said colorful."

Ianto couldn't care less. The shiny black pants and the matching shirt with silvery pattern of a skull on the back would be quite fitting for a New Years party. A luau on the other hand, probably required grass skirt and a skimpy top. "Sure it'll work." Ianto knew that he was never even going to be caught dead in one of those flowery Hawaiian shirts, so he decided it would be better if his cousin also stayed away from that theme.

The gray pinstriped suit he'd picked looked a little too formal, so Ianto chose a salmon colored shirt, just to add a little color. He wasn't sure if he should wear a tie, but picked one anyway. He could always just take it off later.

"I can wear it when we go and pick up Castiel, right?" Gwen cocked her head as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Of course. You look very proper and decent." Ianto had totally forgotten that they were going to kidnap the choirboy.

When Cas called in the morning and begged Gwen to come up with a plan to get him to the party, she'd been excited. They weren't sure if the con would work, but when Gwen put her mind to it, she was a pretty good little liar.

Both of them would have a good reason for not going with the Hawaiian theme because they couldn't show up at the Novak house like that. John could be a little disappointed, so it was nice to have an excuse.

Johnny, Ianto's brother in law, had found the whole thing quite humorous, and promised to help out as well.

When they finally stood on the stoop at Castiel's house, Ianto started to feel a little uncomfortable. They were going to lie to man of the clergy, and it didn't sit well with him. Not that he was particularly religious, but it wasn't right.

"Oh, Hi Mr Novak." Gwen smiled and put on her most innocent look when Castiel's father opened the door. They had never met him, and as far as they knew he had never been to the school. When Gwen dropped Castiel off the other day, he left the car the before they were near the house, so it was very unlikely that he had seen any of them before. "We were wondering if we could talk to Castiel. We need a big favor from him." The man looked a bit taken aback, but then he furrowed his brows. "Jim is busy. What is it exactly you want with him?"

Gwen looked down for a second. "Er, our little church choir are going to sing at a nursing home, but our lead tenor got laryngitis. We are desperate, and I know that Ca.., uh, Jim knows all the songs by heart. He sings in your choir, right?" She shook her head and wiped the corner of her eye with her index finger. "We could still do it, but…"

Ianto was quite impressed when it looked like Gwen was about to cry. She pretended to do her best to compose herself before she looked at the man again. "It's a tradition, and it will be so sad if we let the elderly down. They are looking forward to this, and the staff always arrange a little dinner party for us after."

Mr Novak seemed to think about it for a moment. "Where is this? I can take him there if he wants to come." That was not in the plans. Ianto didn't know how they were going to get out of that one, but Gwen didn't falter. "Oh, thanks, Mr Novak, but we're going to somewhere near Akron. It's quite a drive. Our choir director will take us." She pointed to the car. Johnny was leaning on the door, and gave Mr Novak a quick wave. He was wearing jeans and a golf shirt, but he had put on a nice suit jacket for the occasion.

"Hmm. I don't know. That's a long way. When will you be back then?" Mr Novak looked a little bit more convinced now. "We will definitely try to make it back for the fireworks. We always do." Gwen sounded eager, but calmed herself as she spoke. "If he has plans, it's okay. We just wanted to try, but we got to get going or else we'll be late."

It took a few seconds before Mr Novak nodded. Then he turned around and left them on the stoop. Ianto rolled his eyes. He was thoroughly impressed by his cousin, but he had a bad taste in his mouth.

As soon as Castiel came to the door, Gwen hurried to reach her hand out. "Hi, I hope you remember me from when we sang together. This is Ianto, he is also in our choir. I don't know if your father told you…" She threw a quick smile at the man standing behind Cas. "But we could really need your help."

Castiel looked totally confused, but he played along. "Yes I remember you. My father told me that you needed a tenor, and I'll be happy to help you out." He turned briefly to his father. "If it's okay with him."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"NO WAY!" Dean looked quite disgusted when Sam managed to find that flowery shirt his father was sporting when they at one point in time hung out on Miami Beach. "Not in a million years. This is how far I'm willing to go." He patted his chest. The bright red 'Levis' t-shirt had been stuck in the closet ever since he got it, but if John wanted 'colorful', he'd get colorful.

"I do not think that that was what he meant." Sam had been to a thrift store and found himself a blue short sleeved shirt with a pattern of big white flowers. With his khaki shorts he looked like he belonged in Hawaii. "You are going to freeze to death, you know that, right?" Dean put on his leather jacket. "Blue jeans it is. A luau in the middle of winter is just silly. I'm sure John will understand that it's a bit too cold for beachwear."

Sam shrugged. "It'll be fine. We're going to be indoors right?" He looked out the window at the snow falling. "But I guess sandals are out of the question." They had barely seen snow so far this winter, and it didn't look like this one was going to stay either, but it would still be too cold for bare feet.

Along with the party invitation, Sam had also received a friends request from John. The message that followed it made it quite clear that John was informed about the assistant position. It felt really good to be a part of the choir even if it was just as a laborer, and Sam hoped that the others were informed as well.

With the money they got from their friends and the check that finally arrived from their dad, they had payed the rent for a month, and still they had a couple of hundred dollars to spare. They knew they had to try to save most of it; one could never know when things could get a little tight again, but at least they didn't have to starve.

That Dean had spent some of it to pay Rita back for the whiskey he 'borrowed', and at the same time convinced her to buy him another one, was not in Sam's plans. What was also not a planned purchase was the small bag of weed that Dean brought back after taking Rita to the liquor store.

"She gave it to me very cheap. It's barely enough for a couple of joints. Don't worry, we still have enough money." Dean admitted that he didn't plan to tell Sam about it, but it fell out of his pocket when he pulled out the change. "I'll get a paycheck next week. I know it's not that big, but we'll be fine."

That 'easy come, easy go' mentality was something Dean had inherited from their father. Sam was way more economical than any of them, and would have wanted to be the one in charge of the funds. Most of the time it didn't really matter because they didn't have anything to stash away for a rainy day. This was the first time in a long time that they actually had more than a few bucks, and Sam wanted to try to save some of it at least.

"We can't come to a party with nothing." Dean tried to rationalize, but Sam didn't fall for it. "John posted that he would provide everything." He sighed before he continued. "And the weed. Do you really think that you'll be able to smoke it at the party?"

Dean never answered, but Sam noticed that he'd tucked the bag into his jeans pocket as he got dressed for the party.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jo had to come up with a little while lie if she was going to attend this party. She had frequently spent the night at Gwen's place, so she decided to use that excuse this time as well. Gwen had no problems with that. It was likely that they were going to end up there anyway, unless the party turned into a giant sleepover.

Her parents hadn't been too thrilled about her spending so much time with the guys in the choir when her grades started to drop, but after being tutored by Castiel, they were now very satisfied with her progress.

She had really enjoyed the sessions. Castiel was so cute and to begin with she kind of got a crush on him. It faded quickly because he wasn't really her type anyway. Over time she'd also started to believe that John and Gwen were right about his sexual orientation.

There was nothing she could really pinpoint, but he never seemed to be interested in looking at girls. When the football team came by though, he always followed them with his eyes, and sometimes she noticed a little blush on his cheek. It wasn't much to go on, and she soon realized that she didn't care.

It was kind of funny though that they both got a little short winded when those guys appeared. Jo had to admit that she always looked for Dean, although he never really seemed to notice her. She also liked both John and Jack, but she knew they all looked at her as the baby, and she'd probably never get a chance with any of them.

A couple of boys in her English class had showed some interest in her, but she found them too childish for her liking. The only one her age that she kind of liked was Dean's little brother. He looked older than his age, and he also seemed way more mature than the rest of the sophomores.

Sam was a little bit of a nerd, but he had that little sparkle in his eyes and the most beautiful smile. Even if they had sat at the same table for lunch on multiple occasions, she didn't really feel that she knew him. When she discovered that he was going to attend the party at John's, she decided to try to change that.


	18. and everybody shows up early?

John manage to get things done in a shorter amount of time than he thought, so when Jack shows up hours before the party, they get a chance to take their friendship to a new level. When a few other guests decide to come a early as well, it becomes a little awkward. Even if Jack gets a little annoyed with John, the two of them come to an agreement. Ianto, Jo, Gwen and Cas get a tour of John's big house. Ianto feels a little jealous, but handles it.

* * *

**Song in this chapter**

**Might Tell you tonight - Scissor Sisters - M/L: Hoffman, Sellards**

* * *

**Is this what they call benefits?**

John had so little time. The first thing he did when he arrived was to call a caterer. He wasn't going to make the food himself. It wasn't easy to find one that could deliver on so short notice for New Years, but he eventually managed.

Next he had to get the beer, and that was luckily way easier. He just payed a random guy to go buy it for him, and he was back in good time before he felt like he needed to go to bed. It was still fairly early in the evening, but he hadn't gotten much sleep since he boarded the plane in Honolulu, and he wanted to be well rested before the party.

There was still a few things to do before the guests arrived. When he woke up in the morning, he was going to decorate the living room. It wasn't easy to make it look like Hawaii with the snow falling outside the big panorama windows, so he just gave it up.

The caterer delivered a little before two o'clock and after storing the food in the cooler, he decided to take a shower before he anything else.

He was just out of the shower when the doorbell rang, and as he hurried to get the robe on, he wondered who it could be. He didn't expect the guests to arrive until around seven.

He ran downstairs and opened the front door to find Jack on the stoop. "I hope you don't mind that I'm early. I had nothing better to do." John didn't mind at all, Jack would definitely be welcomed anytime.

"I can make some coffee if you like." He walked in front of Jack towards the dining room. "Or do you want a drink instead?" He rounded the dining table and gestured for Jack to sit down on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island separating the two rooms. John knew he had to get dressed and ready for his guests, but since he decided to skip the decorations, he still had a couple more hours to go. Jack could probably help him with the extra chores anyway.

-o-o-o-

"Are you and Ianto...er, are you…" Jack stuttered a little, but John knew exactly what he was going to ask. They had both opted for coffee. John had showed Jack the house and also told him what happened that made him come back earlier than planned.

"No, we are not. I kind of screwed up that one." He sighed and gave Jack a wink. "We're still friends, but there are issues..." Jack cocked his head. "What happened? I kind of got the impression that the two of you were inseparable."

John took a sip from his cup before he sighed. He wasn't sure if he should tell Jack, but he felt that he had to confide in someone. "We are really just friends. There has never been anything more between us, and I should have just left it that way."

Jack got clearly very interested. "What did you do? You have to tell me." John slumped his head down and picked on a fingernail. "I kissed him, and I… Well nothing really happened."

With a chuckle Jack got up to pour himself another cup. "You kissing people seems to lead to trouble. Remember Cas?" He came back and sat down. "Was that also just an innocent kiss on the cheek, or did you actually make out with Ianto?"

John eased himself out of the bar stool and walked over to stand behind Jack. "None of the above. I just…" He wrapped his arm around the guy's waist from behind. "I'll show you exactly what I did." Jack startled a little but didn't resist.

He pulled the collar of Jack's shirt down before he pressed his lips against the nape of his neck. At the same time he pushed his hand up under under the shirt, and caressed the skin of his chest. Jack hitched his breath before he put his own hand on top of John's. "And what was Ianto's reaction to that?" He held onto the hand preventing John from moving it.

"He kind of, er, asked me to stop, but then we just fell asleep. We were drunk." The intimacy between them started to have it's effect on John, and he wondered if he should pull away. "Oh. You were in bed together, so it wasn't exactly like this?" Jack turned his head to look at John, but the position made it difficult.

"No not exactly." He knew he should have stopped, but he couldn't help leaning in to kiss Jack's neck again. Jack got up from the stool and turned around. Without any underwear, the robe couldn't conceal John's arousal, and it became perfectly clear that Jack noticed.

"Why don't you show me exactly what happened." He leaned forward a little almost letting their lips touch. "Or better yet. Why don't you show me what could have happened if…" He didn't finish the sentence, but it wasn't really necessary. Their lips locked together and they clung to each other as they moved a little clumsily towards the couch in the living room.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

John sounded a bit like he'd been running before he answered his phone. Gwen had begged Ianto to call and ask if they could come a little early, because Ianto's dad was about to bore Castiel and Jo to death.

They didn't seem particularly interested in the long speech about why soccer was a much better game than what they called football in the US, but they tried hard to be polite. Ianto knew that Gwen kind of agreed with her uncle; she didn't quite understand the rules of the American football, but she had noticed Jo's begging eyes when Ifan started to explain the 'offside rule' in detail.

"We have to get out of here." She pushed the phone into his hand. "I could call him myself, but he's your friend."

After picking up Castiel they had decided to go back to the house for a little while. It was still too early to go to the party, but the most important reason was because Jo called shortly after they left the Novak house. She needed an excuse to stay out all night and had told her parents that she was going to spend the night at Gwen's. They offered to take her there, and it meant that Gwen actually had to be at home when she arrived.

The phone rang for the longest time before John picked up. He was practically panting. "Sorry, sorry, I was busy. What's up?" Ianto explained the urgency, and after a short hesitation John replied. "Sure. Come on. When will you be here? Fifteen minutes?"

Even if his words were quite enthusiastic, his voice didn't really fit. He actually sounded a little bummed about it, but it was probably because he was trying to get it all ready before any guests showed up. Ianto did his best to not take it personally, but after the little stunt John pulled that night almost two months ago, there had been a weird tension between them.

They had never really talked about. Partially because they didn't have much time alone. After the party, Ianto had left his sound system and instruments in the basement, so it was more natural to go down there when they hung out together. Gwen was with them most of the time and Jo dropped by on occasions.

There had never before been any discussions on whether John would spend the night or not, but after the incident he always seemed eager to get back home to his own bed. Ianto wasn't quite sure if it was his own demeanor that caused this. He knew he hadn't been very forthcoming either.

He felt that he couldn't urge John to stay, because he was afraid it would be taken the wrong way. Not that he had any idea what the wrong way was. He didn't know if he wanted to pursue the issue. John was just a friend, and Ianto wanted to keep it that way, but he could still get a little aroused just thinking about what happened.

Lately they hadn't really hung out much at all. Exams and the work on the Christmas show had left them with little time to socialize outside of school.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"When you're quiet, but your eyes

Are saying everything I need to know

I want to burrow like a sparrow…"

The sound of music came from an undetermined place. John jumped up and hurried to pull the robe around him before he stopped for a second to listen to hear where the sound actually came from.

"I've been waiting for the day

When I can throw away these numbers

That line my dresser drawers and cupboards

Start me over…"

Jack got quite amused the way John practically dived into the dining room to find his phone. It was obviously somewhere in the kitchen, because John seemed to be heading straight towards the counter where they had been sitting with their coffee.

"And I just might say it tonight

I just might say it tonight

I just might tell you tonight

That I love you

And you should stay all…"

The music got cut off when John picked up, and whoever was on the other end had to notice that he sounded a little frantic.

After ending the conversation, John came back and slumped down on the couch next to Jack. "Ianto. He is coming early. I'll better get dressed." He looked at Jack out of the corner of his eye. "Just as well, ey?"

Jack sighed as he reached his hand out and stroke John's back. "Maybe you're right. This is not the time." He had never planned that anything like this was going to happen between them. Not that they got very far anyway.

"Can we not tell anyone?" John leaned his head onto Jack shoulder. "I mean…oh, you know what I mean." Jack chuckled a little. "What's there to tell. Nothing really happened here. A little kissing, a little fondling. Totally innocent." There was nothing innocent in the thoughts that raged through Jack's head during the few minutes they had on the couch. Technically, he was the one doing the fondling. John was practically naked, while Jack hadn't even unbuttoned his pants.

"Yeah. Nothing really happened." John kissed him on the cheek before he got up. "It wouldn't have either, right? I, we are not like, in love. I mean I like you, but… I really…" Jack could almost feel John eyes panning his body. "You're hot, but I'm in… Maybe not in love, but there's someone else."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh, for Christ sake. This has nothing to do with love, hun." He got up and put his hands on each side of John's head before he leaned in a kissed him passionately. There was a sliver of reciprocation from the guy before he pulled back. "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. I have to go."

They looked into each others eyes for a moment. "You know, I want to keep this a secret as well." Jack shrugged. "I wouldn't mind continuing this at a later time, but this…" He waved his hand between them. "This is just, uh, a friendship with a chance for benefits."

John smiled and looked down as he shook his head a little. "I see. You don't want to be tangled into anything that'll keep you from leaving when the school year is over, but isn't it a little shallow?"

"Shallow? Why? It's consensual. We both know what we want, nobody is leading anyone on. It's just a bit of fun. It's not like we're cheating on anybody either." Jack was starting to get tired of John's weird rationalisations. He obviously had some idea that sex and love were synonymous. It was quite unexpected, and Jack realized that John wasn't as experienced as he liked people to believe.

The whole conversation was quite a turn off anyway, and the anticipation about what could happen when they were alone faded quickly. "Forget it, John. Get ready for your guests."

John slumped his head down and smiled at the floor. "NO. This isn't over. It's just..." He looked up before he headed toward the front door. As he crossed the hall he turned briefly. "Will you sleep over if I ask you?" Jack chuckled to himself. "You don't even have to ask."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**A house is not only a home**

Gwen was a little bit in awe as she stepped through the oversized front door of the house. She could see that the others were quite taken aback as well. Jo actually looked a little scared as she stared up on the almost bare white walls ending more than two floors up.

"Holy shit." Ianto took a few steps forward and panned the whole entrance hall. "This looks like something out of a movie. How do you keep this clean?" It was just like him to be so prosaic about this. Gwen didn't really care, she was just eager to see the rest of the house.

John shrugged. "Uh, we have people." He was still standing by the door behind them, obviously waiting to allow for his guests to let the first impression of the house sink in. "You have people? Of course you do." Jo had pulled off her big winter jacket and was standing there a little dumfounded. "Where do I put it?"

The hall didn't have any furniture that even resembled a clothes rack; there was really no furniture in the room at all except for a small cast iron bench next to the staircase, and a matching table with a big mirror above it on the opposite side.

John cleared his throat, making a sound that caused all of them to turn to him. He nodded towards a door to his left that Gwen hadn't even noticed when she came inside. "That's the wardrobe, you can put your coats in there." He turned and faced the other way. "And that's the bathroom. We have more of them, and I will show you."

They all went over there and John helped them put away their jackets. Gwen pulled off her boots, and dug a pair of heels out of her bag. She thought about the hatstand in Ianto's hall. It was always covered with an abundance of jackets, coats, and scarves, and their little shoe rack was piled up with footwear. John had a whole room for that, and it was quite big for a closet.

She crossed over to the bathroom. She just had to take a peek. The light came on automatically when she opened the door revealing a counter with two sinks, and two toilets in their separate little booths. Behind the door there was a shelf with towels, and a tiny little shower. It looked like it had never been used, but John obviously had people.

She caught up with the others as they peeked into the room on the right side of the hall. Gwen had already thrown a glance in there through the open double doors, but it was very dark so she couldn't see much. John flicked a switch. "This is the, er, theater."

To the right, there was a flat screen bigger than Gwen had ever seen in real life, while tall bookcases with glass doors covered most of the opposite wall. The only windows in there were three small rectangular ones high up on the far wall. The sofa and the chairs in there looked very comfortable, and she tried to imagine curling up there with someone to watch a horror movie or maybe a sappy love drama.

"Moving on." John turned off the light again, and led them across the hall. Similar double doors opened up to a dining room with a table that could seat twelve people. Behind it, there was a raised counter with four bar stools and then behind that again they could see the kitchen. It had black marble countertops and brushed steel appliances. Except for two coffee cups on the counter, it didn't look like it was in use either.

John had obviously done this tour before, and he looked a little bored as he pointed to three doors to his right. "That's the cellar, sort of, and that's the walk-in cooler. That door leads to the living room, but we will enter that later through it's main entrance." Gwen knew where that was. When they stood in the hall as they came in, she'd noticed the arched opening at the back of the room straight ahead from the front door.

They walked back out in the hall and John started to ascend the stairs. Gwen was right behind him when they reached the little balcony overlooking the hall and the front door. John gestured behind him. That's the guest rooms. Only two of them has their own bathroom. "Only two of them has their own bathroom? Are you kidding me? Where I come from, we all have to share the only two we have." Jo shook her head. "Can we take a look?"

Ianto tried hard to look unfazed, but Gwen knew him well enough. It had been a while since they discovered that John had a little more to spend than the rest of them, but none of them had expected this.

The room in the middle had two single beds, while the two others were equipped with King size doubles. Gwen didn't venture inside to look at the bathrooms. She already had an idea of what they looked like.

"That's my mom's room, and this is mine." John turned to them, "And no. My mother's room is off limits. No peeking." He looked directly at Jo and Gwen as they passed by two doors in the upstairs hall. "That's an extra guest bath, and there's a washroom." He stopped outside his own room and pushed the door open to let the guests come inside.

It was the only room so far that looked like it was used, but it was still the tidiest bedroom Gwen had ever been in. That included her own, which she prided herself in keeping spotless. "Do you have OCD or something? This is unreal." She slumped down on the loveseat under the window and panned the whole room. One couldn't really call it a bedroom. It was more like a suite. John even had a small fridge, a coffee maker, and his own TV. "Don't show this to the Winchesters. They'll hate you. Their whole apartment is smaller than this."

She knew she wasn't being fair, and she regretted the words as soon as they came out. "It was a joke. Please don't tell anyone I said that."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

From the hall, they were led through an archway and entered the living room. It was probably more than 30 feet wide, and quite a bit longer. Ianto couldn't really tell, but it was big. The first five or six feet of it was raised a little bit above the rest of it, and on the left of this stoop there was a bar.

A big couch had it's back against the two steps of stairs that went along the whole width of the room and brought them to the sitting area. The couch was far enough away from the steps to walk behind it, but not much more than that. The big glass coffee table in front of it had a love seat at each end. In the right corner there was a fireplace, and to the left they had four recliners surrounding a smaller glass table. Every seat in there was white leather, also the four or five foot stools that were scattered around seemingly at random. The white marbled floor was partially covered with light colored persian carpets, which matched the cream colored curtains perfectly.

Two panorama windows in front of them was so big that it looked like a glass wall. A small white baby grand piano was prominently placed on a sort of raised platform in front of the windows. On both sides of the room there were sliding doors, also quite big and also glass. They led out to covered patios outside.

Jack was sitting in one of the recliners waving as they entered. For some odd reason he seemed to belong in this environment. "Did you get the tour? Awesome isn't it?" He got up as he turned to John. "Can I get them drinks, or do you want to…?"

The familiarity he expressed as he walked towards that door leading to the dining room didn't sit well with Ianto, and he started to suspect that there was something going on between him and John. Why was he even there? The guests weren't supposed to arrive for another hour.

"Go ahead." John smiled at him before he turned back to the rest of his guests. "Do you want beer, mixed drinks, wine? I'm sure I can accommodate all of you no matter what."

Jack was standing at the door obviously waiting for an answer. Ianto decided to have a beer, Jo wanted a wine cooler, while Gwen wanted to mix her own drink. "If it's true. If you have everything, I can make an awesome 'Sex on the beach'." She looked at Cas. "I can make one for you too. The last time was just… not the right stuff."

Ianto had to admit to himself that he was a little bit starstruck as they walked around in this house, but at the same time he felt a little sorry for his friend. This model home was so sterile and way too clean. It didn't really look like anyone lived here. The coffee cups on the counter and the magazines on the table in John's room looked more like props than actual proof of this house being inhabited.

After getting a beer in his hand, Ianto walked around looking at the art on the walls as he clandestinely threw quick peeks at John and Jack. It could look like the two of them were trying to avoid getting to close to each other, but they were still laughing and joking as if nothing was the matter.

It was really just stupid to worry about. There was nothing he could do regardless.

Jack's sometimes not so subtle flirting was going nowhere. Ianto didn't even know if the guy was seriously trying to hit on him, or if it was just a big joke. The two of them had hardly ever exchanged a word in private, and Jack never seemed very eager to catch Ianto alone.

John's move was different, but that didn't go anywhere either. Ianto knew that he was partly to blame for that, but the whole thing had scared him more than he wanted to admit.

Whenever Jack looked at him, Ianto felt his heart skip a beat, but he was starting to realize that he was completely out of his league. The guy had been out and about, while Ianto himself had never even kissed a boy in his whole life.

With John it was different. Even if he had this big house and were filthy rich, Ianto had always felt that they were more on the same turf. John was probably a tad more experienced with both boys and girls according to the rumors he made sure to spread around about himself, but that didn't take much.

Ianto tried to push those silly thoughts out of his head. He should probably just go on and find himself a nice girl. Life would be so much easier if he could forget about both John and Jack.

It was kind of tough though. Even if the two of them didn't go near each other, Ianto could see that they exchanged a few somewhat flirtatious glances across the room, and he was very disappointed with himself when he realized that he was quite a bit jealous.

John had to take the tour again when the rest of the guests shuffled in. Gwen and Jo tagged along for an extra round, while Ianto and Castiel stayed behind in the living room. Jack had also opted to stay, but he was in the kitchen fetching another drink.

Ianto was looking out through the window when Jack came up to him. "Another beer?" He reached his arm around Ianto and held the bottle up. He was standing a little to the side behind him and so close that Ianto could feel Jack's hip pressing against his buttock.

"Sure, thanks." He wondered if Jack noticed that he hitched his breath a little as he spoke. He stared out on the falling snow as he grabbed around the neck of the bottle. "Nice view?" Jack put a hand on his shoulder and moved to stand beside him. "You know there's a pool out there? It's covered now in the winter, but you can see the outline of it through the snow."

Ianto didn't answer. He didn't trust his own voice to sound normal, so he just took a sip from the beer. *Maybe John can arrange a pool party when it gets warm enough. We should ask him." Jack let his hand run slowly down Ianto's back. "I'm sure you look really good in swimtrunks."

An image of Jack's tan and wet body emerging from a pool came into Ianto's head. His cock reacted instantly to it; it was just a twitch, but he did his best to think of something else.

"Hey, you two." John was back from the tour and he forced himself between them. "Admiring the view? You should see it the summer." He wrapped his arms around their waists. "We could have a pool party."

Ianto and Jack exchanged a look before they both started laughing. "We were just talking about that." Ianto dared to speak when the laughter had relaxed him somewhat.


	19. Not exactly a Luau

Nobody heeded the dresscode, but it doesn't matter. Unique and Dean share a moment of awkwardness. Cas, Ianto and Gwen hang out, and Cas is put on the spot. John decides to change the tune and play live. It gets a little emotional for Gwen. A couple of guests leave early. Castiel has to lie to his father, and it seems to go well. At the midnight hour they share some champagne. Some of them share more than that, while others are a little more shy.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley - M/L: Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger**

**Take me to Church - Hozier - M/L: Andrew Hozier-Byrne**

**Rocket Man - Elton John - M/L: Elton John and Bernie Taupin**

**Auld lang syne - L: Robert Burns, M: Trad**

* * *

**It's on**

Sam and John were the only ones at the party dressed for the Hawaiian theme. Everybody else had gone for more traditional New Year's eve outfits, and Dean felt that he stood out like a traffic light in his red t-shirt. He had buffed up a bit since he got it, so it was also a little too tight over the chest.

Some people liked to strut their stuff, and he'd seen guys on the football team in their form fitting shirts. Dean was not one of those, and he worried that the rest of his friends would think that he wanted attention. He almost regretted not taking that ghastly shirt Sam had dug out for him. Even if that was far from his style as well, he could at least have made a few jokes about it.

Jack, Ianto, and Castiel had suited up; Mason and Kevin looked a little more casual in their black jeans, but they both wore dark button down shirts and ties. Kevin had also added a black leather vest to his outfit.

All the girls except for Unique were dressed in black. Charlie wore a pantsuit with a sparkling silver top underneath. Jo and Madison had almost similar little black dresses which caused some friendly arguments between them. Jane had a tight fitting strapless top, and what Dean for a long time believed was a long flowing skirt. After a while he discovered that it was really pants.

Unique had a quite simple pink dress, but wore a golden sequined jacket over it to add a little sparkle, as she put it herself. Gwen looked good as usual in her tight shiny pants, and the shirt with the silvery skull on the back was also very much her style. She had started the evening in four inch heels, but it didn't take long before she kicked them off.

Garth was the only one from Glee-club that didn't show up, but he had sent greetings explaining that he was stuck with his family up in Montana. Two other guests on the list didn't come either, but John had a perfectly good explanation for that. "I just added them for fun. I met them in Hawaii, and I knew they wouldn't be able to make it. I only want to hang out with you guys. Who else do we need?"

Dean had pushed one of the recliners a little further into the corner of the living room, and sat there with his beer panning the rest of the crowd.

"Night and you

And blue Hawaii

The night is heavenly

And you are heaven to me"

John was obviously still trying to stick with the Hawaiian theme, but this was too boring. Dean liked a few of Elvis Presley's songs, but this was not one of them.

"Dreams come true

In blue Hawaii.

and mine could all come true

This magic night of nights with you."

"Hey guys! I totally forgot." John came running into the living room handing out fake leis. "You were going to get it at the door, I'm a terrible host." That was so far from the truth as it could be. John's hosting skills were absolutely more than acceptable.

He balled one of them up before he waved at Dean and threw it to him. "You too. Trying to hide are you?" John obviously didn't expect an answer because he hurried to move along to give out the rest of those Hawaiian necklaces.

"Can I have that one?" Unique was suddenly standing in front of him. "I mean, you got the only pink one, and it will go way better with my dress than this one." She was holding a lei made up of red and blue flowers. "I mean… this one will suit you better."

Dean couldn't even imagine that one of those would suit him at all, but he definitely didn't care it it was pink or blue or rainbow colored for that matter. "Sure." Unique slipped hers around his neck before she grabbed his. "Thanks." She put it on. "Why are you sitting here all by yourself? Are you brewing on something? You're not going to attack anyone are you?" She smiled and gave him a quick wink.

It was a little annoying that she brought up what happened at Gwen's party, but Dean decided to make a joke about it. "Sure. I just haven't decided on who yet." He emptied his beer and was about to get up to fetch another one, but Unique blocked the way. "Let me just go and warn Ianto and Gwen will you?"

Dean had no reason to attack any of them, and he didn't understand the joke until he followed Uniques line of view. Gwen stood behind the little bar in the other corner, while Ianto and Castiel were standing in front of it facing her. It could look like the three of them were in a heated argument the way they gestured with their hands, but the smile on Gwen's face told Dean otherwise.

"He is cute, isn't he?" Unique cocked her head and gave Dean a nudge on the shoulder. Cas had turned a little so they could see his face. He was rolling his eyes at Ianto as he said something that made the Welshies laugh. It could look like he was on the phone, but Dean wasn't quite sure.

Just that moment, Dean felt an overwhelming urge to punch Unique. He knew exactly what she was thinking, and he didn't like it. That she was accurate in her perception didn't matter. "Oh, shut up. You know why I punched John. It had nothing to do with, er, with… him." He nodded towards Cas.

"Yeah, they said so, but I don't believe that tall tale for a second." She sighed. "Cas is sticking to it though, but I know he's lying. I know him well enough." Unique grabbed Dean's arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. "It's okay, hun. He likes you too."

Dean tried to get out of the grip, but Unique held on for a little bit longer. "Could you get me a drink, sweetie. Gwen is a pretty good little bartender." She let go and looked at the trio at the bar before she turned back to him. Dean shook his head. "Sorry, sweetie." He said it a little mockingly. "You will have to do it yourself." He should probably have begged her to keep her knowledge to herself, but that meant that he had to admit that she was correct in her perception. "I agree with you. Cas is a nice and sweet guy, but you're delusional."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I'm not going anywhere." Castiel looked at Gwen as he shook his head. "Tomorrow is a new day, and I'll deal with it then." Gwen threw her hands out. "I didn't mean that. I don't want you to leave, but shouldn't you at least call?"

Ianto nodded in agreement. "They are going to worry, and if they don't hear anything…" He huffed. "What if they call the police?" He shifted his gaze between Cas and Gwen. "It won't take them long to find out who we are and where we are at. It could blow up the whole party."

Castiel slumped his head down. "Maybe you're right, but even if I call, what would prevent my dad from calling the police anyway?" He reached out for his drink, but Gwen pulled it away. "You should call, and you should sound sober when you do." She smiled and gave him the drink back. "Sorry, it's really none of my business, but I was the one who lied through my teeth."

Gwen had come up with some dangerous concoctions. One could barely taste the alcohol in the drinks, and Cas knew that he had to be careful. "Regardless, they're all in church now, so…" He took a small sip. "Now! At his hour." Gwen picked up her phone and looked at it. "It's almost eleven." She stared at him.

"Well, yeah. Maybe it's over now, but… The New Year's worship started at nine thirty, so they're probably on their way home now." He sighed and dug into his pocket. "But even if he wants to call the police, he'll definitely call me first."

He put the phone to his ear pretending to answer a call. "Oh, Hi dad. I'm at John's. We're having a few drinks. I'm hanging here with the Welshies." He smiled and looked at Gwen. "Yeah, Gwen is really sweet, I think I'm going to marry her, I just have to get her drunk first."

Both Ianto and Gwen laughed out loud. Cas kept going. "Ianto is also very nice, and very handsome. Maybe I'll marry him instead." He pretended to listen to someone at the other end. "Oh yeah, he's a boy, I know. Why would that be a problem. Oh, you don't want to perform the service. That sucks. Guess we have to elope then. Bye, see you in another life."

Gwen stared at him with a big smile on her face. "Wow. I didn't know you had it in you. You're full of surprises aren't you?" She turned when Unique came up to the bar. "What's so funny?" She looked at the three of them. "Can you mix me one of those?" She pointed to Gwen's Margarita.

The girl nodded. "Sure." She picked a glass and got started. "You know. Cas and Ianto are going to elope." Gwen chuckled a little. "Unless I take him first."

Unique turned slowly to look at Ianto. "Oh, poor boy. Don't tell Dean. He'll beat you to a pulp." Castiel almost choked on his drink. He knew perfectly well what she was referring to, and he did not like it. They all threw a peek over to the corner where Dean had been sitting moments ago, but he wasn't there anymore. "He's getting a beer." Unique turned back to them and cocked her head. "Eloping, uh?"

Gwen smiled and looked at Cas. "Guess we have to keep it a secret then. Unless… Maybe you should take Dean instead. I don't think Ianto is that into you, and he's no fighter."

"What?" Ianto tried to look offended, but he didn't quite manage to cover up the humor on his face. "Oh, baby, Don't listen to her." He scooted over and wrapped an arm over Castiel's shoulder. "I'd fight for you."

"My lover's got humour

She's the giggle at a funeral

Knows everybody's disapproval…"

John had turned off the music and was singing as he hit the chords on the piano. He wasn't a great piano player, but it worked. After a few boring songs about beaches and love in the sand, this was nice.

"Take me to church

I'll worship like a dog

At the shrine of your lies

I'll tell you my sins

So you can sharpen your knife..."

It wasn't exactly the most upbeat song in the universe, but it was good. Gwen sang along on the chorus, and noticed that Charlie and Jack joined in as well.

"If I'm a pagan of the good times

My lover's the sunlight

To keep the goddess on my side

She demands a sacrifice…"

Gwen remembered that the first time she saw the music video to this song, she was in tears. Knowing that John was mostly into boys, listening to him sing it became quite emotional for her and she had to wipe her eyes. On the last chorus, everybody in the room sang along. She could even see that Sam's lips moved, and he had told her that his singing voice wasn't worth a damn.

"Take me to church

I'll worship like a dog

At the shrine of your lies

I'll tell you my sins

So you can sharpen your knife

Offer me that deathless death

Oh, good God, let me give you my life."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**The midnight hour**

John was happy. The party seemed to be a big success even if all of them had disregarded the theme. All except Sam. It didn't matter. A luau in the middle of winter was just silly anyway. Come summer, he'd arrange a real luau around the pool in the back garden. The little stint at the piano had gone well, but he decide to leave the playing to someone who could do a better job of it.

The few trays of food that he'd placed randomly around the room were almost empty, so he went to get some more. He'd asked the caterer for finger foods only, and he'd also told them to not add anything that needed reheating. He didn't want to have to deal with plates and cutlery. It was easier if they goud just grab and chew.

Most of his friends were probably used to bowls of chips and nuts at a party like this, but the finger sandwiches and those little petit fours seemed to be a hit.

He knew he was flaunting it a bit with the food and his expensive wines and aged whiskey, but it couldn't be helped. They should know that he didn't do it to make them feel inferior. He'd always treated everybody as equals, and for a good part of the semester they didn't even know that he was loaded.

"I'm a rocket man

rocket man

burnin' out this fuse

up here alone."

Kevin and Charlie were struggling to fit together on piano stool as they sang. John knew that both of them were pretty decent piano players, even if it wasn't their main instrument.

"Mars ain't the kind of place

To raise your kids

In fact, it's cold as hell

And there's no one there to raise them

If you did…"

He put a fresh tray of food on the coffee table and was on his way back to the kitchen to fetch some more when Mason and Madison came up to him. "We have to leave. We're so sorry, and we would have loved to stay, but our dad is picking us up shortly."

John stared at them. "But, but, fireworks. We have… But why?" It was less than an hour until the New year came around, and he could see no reason for them to leave now. "You can't. We're having fun, and this is just the beginning."

The twins shook their heads. "We would love to, but we weren't allowed to stay any longer." Madison sighed before she walked over and gave him a hug. "This is awesome. Your house is awesome, but we really have to go."

Unique and Jane came over, and it was obvious that they knew beforehand. "You could just lie though." Unique nodded towards Jo. "She told her parents that she'd spend New Year's Eve with Gwen and her family."

Mason smiled at her. "Yeah, well, we could have, but it's not, er, what we do." He cocked his head. "And what did you say to your parents?" Unique wrapped her arm around John's waist and batted her lashes. "I told them that I was going to spend the night with my lover." She kissed him on the cheek before she let go. "No seriously. I just told them that I was invited to Castiel's house, and they believed me. Go figure."

The twins huffed in unison, and Madison shook her head. "Lying is not something we like to do, and anyway, it's too late now. Maybe next time you can tell me how it's done?" The two of them gave John a quick hug. "Awesome party. Do it again please."

They were gone and it was kind of sad, but John decided to not let it get to him. There were still eleven other guests to attend to.

When Kevin asked for contributions for the Winchesters just before John left for Hawaii, he had given him two hundred dollars urging the guy to keep it quiet. He knew that a few of the others had put in a more than a buck, but he didn't want anyone to know that he was the main 'shareholder'. He didn't know Sam very well, but it didn't matter. He knew Dean, and even if the guy had attacked him, he kind of liked him, and didn't want them to have to live in their car.

He'd actually thought about asking his mom if they could come and live in the guesthouse, but he felt it would be too intrusive on them. Regardless, if push came to shove, and the Winchesters got thrown out of their apartment, he would definitely bring that up.

Gwen, Castiel, and Ianto seemed to have a good time by the bar. Unique joined them for a brief moment and it looked like they were all having fun. Kevin and Charlie had changed the tune, and were playing a soft waltz. Jack pulled Jane out of her seat and the two of them danced together to the music.

Jo had been fluttering around, but she was now seated on the armrest next to Sam. It looked like she was trying to have a serious conversation with him, but she was obviously very drunk. That girl would be a cheap date. John was pretty sure that she hadn't been drinking much. He remembered that she was the first one to cave in at Gwen's party, and he just hoped that she'd last till midnight.

He realized that he was missing one and wondered where Dean could be. He was a little bit like a loose cannon, and John worried that he was hiding away brewing on something,

"Hey. What's up? Great party. Great food. Everything is great." Dean came out from the kitchen with a beer in his hand. "I wonder…" He threw quick peeks from side to side. "I could never pay you back for this, but maybe…" The guy dug his hand into his pocket. "I have this." John looked at the little bag partially hidden in Dean's palm, and nodded. "Sure, later."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The actual phone conversation between Cas and his dad did not go the way he had 'rehearsed' it. When his phone rang a few minutes after eleven thirty, he ran to the dining room and closed the door behind him. Gwen was too curious, and slipped in there after him.

"Yeah, well, uh. We kind of got stuck. I don't know when I will get back." He walked over to the double doors in the dining room and closed them as well. He obviously didn't want his dad to hear the music and chatter in the background. "NO you don't need to come get me. We're fine. But there was an accident and the road is closed."

Gwen got a little startled when Dean came out of the walk-in cooler with a beer in his hand. "Oh, sorry. What's going on?" He looked at her, as Gwen briefly acknowledged that John had a whole room for that as well before she put a finger to her lips.

"We are fine, and we are being taken care of. No we had nothing to do with it. It was about a half hour ago. I was gonna call, but we didn't know if it was worth it to find another way home."

The little sigh from when Dean twisted open his beer made Castiel flip around. He had obviously not noticed that he was in there. "Yes dad. Sure. I'll call as soon as we know. Worst case scenario the staff told us we can stay till tomorrow, although they don't have any beds for us."

The conversation ended shortly after. Cas pulled out one of the bar stools and sat down. "I'm so screwed." He rested his elbows on the counter and folded his hand under his chin. Gwen ran over and patted his back. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?" She really worried when she looked at his sad face and she actually wondered if he was going to cry.

He sighed heavily before he straightened himself up a bit. "You know. I was going to study English and foreign languages, and maybe eventually become a teacher." He threw her a sideways glance as he rubbed his eye. Gwen stared at him dumbfounded. "What does that have to do with anything?" She looked a Dean, and he seemed equally puzzled.

Castiel stood up and gave her a crooked smile. "I think maybe I should go into acting instead." With a chuckle he threw his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. "Man I'm good. I even fooled you, and you're quite the actor yourself."

"Ehrm." Dean cleared his throat as he came over. "What is this all about? What happened? What accident were you referring to?"

Gwen couldn't stop smiling. Castiel was just awesome. She turned and walked over to Dean. "This guy is really something." She leaned her head on Dean's shoulder and looked up at him. "He's quite adorable too. Look at those seemingly innocent blue eyes. Don't let them fool you." She pulled away and headed for the door. "He can explain, I'm going back to the others."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They were standing on the roof above John's room. There was a low white balustrade on three sides and on the fourth side they had the wall to the loft. The roof of the hall was a couple of feet higher and the edge could have been used to sit on if it wasn't for the thin layer of snow that covered it.

The weather had changed since the party started, and they could see the dark starry sky. There was a few clouds in the distance, but they would have a perfect view of the fireworks.

About fifteen minutes before midnight, John had gathered his guests. He told them to put on shoes and jackets because they were going to go outside. Everybody had thought that they would go out on the street or into the back yard, but he'd led them upstairs. In the corner next to one of the guestrooms he opened a door revealing a dark narrow staircase leading up to a loft.

The room up there looked like it belonged in a different house. The old couch and the somewhat dusty coffee table didn't quite fit the rest of the interior. A few pieces of workout equipment were lined up at the far end of the room next to a stack of cardboard boxes. Two guitars and a tambourin were hanging on the wall above the couch, and a small keyboard was leaning against the armrest of it. Next to the door that led out to the roof, there was a small entertainment center with a TV and Stereo system. It looked rather dusty as well.

John must have noticed that his friends got a little surprised by the shabby condition in the room, but he didn't seem to care. He just walked straight to the door and opened it. "Come on." He gestured for them to go outside before he took off.

With only minutes left before the new year came around, they all wondered what he was doing, but then he emerged carrying four bottles of champagne. "I need to get glasses, can someone help me?" Jo volunteered immediately, but John shook his head. "No, not you. Sorry girl, I saw how you stumbled up the stairs. I need someone that is a little more steady on their feet. Before anyone else got a chance to react, Sam just walked towards the door. "Come on then. We only have a few minutes."

Some people had started a little early, and scattered around against the black sky they could already see the colorful flashes of fireworks.

Seconds later, John and Sam were back. They handed out the glasses before John started to pop open the champagne. The bells at the nearby church started to toll in the new year as they all lifted their glasses and watched the sky light up from hundreds of New year's rockets. After the quick toast it could almost look like a scuffle the way everybody tried to hug each other simultaneously.

Jo clung to Sam for dear life, and didn't let go even when a few of the others came to give him a hug. John pulled in Jack and the two of them made out thoroughly before he turned to Gwen and gave her the same treatment. She got clearly taken by surprise, but reciprocated willingly.

A few kisses were shared among some of the others as well, but it was mostly just friendly pecks on the cheeks. Kevin backed away a little when John came up to him. "No way, I'm not making out with you." John just chuckled and shook his head. "That's too bad, I was going for a record." The two of them hugged it out before John moved to his next target.

"Never been kissed, uh?" He put his hands on Castiel's cheeks. "Happy New Year Choirboy." He leaned in and let their lips touch. Cas got a little startled. He didn't pull away, but he didn't really partake in the kiss so much either.

John felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to see Dean standing behind him sporting a crooked smile. "You lead a dangerous life, John Hart." He said it quietly, and nobody else could possibly have heard him over the noise from the fireworks. There was no sign to suggest that Dean was angry, but John backed away from Cas and lifted his hands in front of him defensively. "Sorry mate. It's New Years after all, and I…" He didn't get to finish before Dean embraced him. "I'm just kidding." Dean whispered into his ear before he pulled back a little. Then he leaned in for a kiss. "No tongue, please."

It was a quick touch of their lips, and then Dean practically pushed him away. John walked backwards away from Cas and Dean, and could see that the two of them just stood there and stared at each other. He wanted to see what happened but got a little sidetracked when he crashed into someone behind him.

"IANTO! Happy New Year." John held his breath for a few seconds as he stared at his friend. He wanted dive into it, but for some reason he hesitated. Before he came to his senses again, Jack was at their side. He grabbed Ianto and gave him a kiss on each cheek before he pulled him in and nuzzled his face into the crook of the guy's neck. John threw a quick peek over his shoulder to check on Cas and Dean. They were still in the same position, and it could look like they were talking.

When he turned back, Jack had not yet let go of Ianto, and John felt a touch of jealousy. He soon realized that it was directed to both of them. He knew that Jack had guessed that he had a crush on Ianto, and he got a little annoyed with him the way he rubbed himself on the guy. On the other hand, Jack was hot as hell and John had walked around with a semi half the evening thinking about what would happen when they were alone again.

After the little thing between them earlier, the two of them had agreed that Jack would spend the night, and even if they didn't talk about the outcome of that, they both kind of knew. He had always let his friends believe that he had experience, but John had never really had sex with a guy, and if everything went according to plan, that could change shortly.

John was about to walk away when Jack let go of Ianto and pulled him over. "Hey, I thought you were going to make out with everybody here. Ianto is waiting." Ianto didn't look half as convinced as Jack, but then he just shrugged. "Why not. It's New year's eve after all."

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot

and never brought to mind

Should all acquaintance be forgot

and auld lang syne…"

When Kevin suddenly started to sing it didn't take more than seconds for everybody to join him.

"For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld lang syne

We'll take a cup o' kindness yet

For auld lang syne."


	20. Complications

The party is over. John and Dean have a bonding moment. Ianto can't sleep, and he is a little careless with his phone. Gwen picks up the car in the morning and gets some exciting news. John wakes up with regrets and anxiety, and refuses to go downstairs. Dean is hungover, and Sam is annoying him. Back in school a few days later, there are a few awkward moments, but Mr Evans is taking their mind off things. They have to form new duos, which leaved Dean in a little bit of a pickle. Garth and Charlie steps up and sing a familiar song. Castiel is missing.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Bed's too big without you - The Police - M/L: Sting**

**Same Love (She keeps me warm) - Macklemore &amp; Ryan Lewis, Mary Lambert - M/L: Ben Haggerty, Ryan Lewis, Mary Lambert**

* * *

**A recipe for hangovers and regrets**

"Great party." Dean's voice was a little slurred and he had a hard time focusing on John. "Did everybody leave, or…" He took another drag from the joint before he handed to his friend. "Sam is, er, he's still here, right?" John nodded. "Yup. And Jo, and Jack."

They were sitting on the couch in the loft, and Dean couldn't quite remember how they managed to get away from the others. "Why are they not here with us? I would share." He nudged John and reached for the beer on the table. "Oh, no. They were not supposed to know, right?"

He recalled a picture of his brother curled up in one of the loveseats with Jo. They had both fallen asleep shortly after midnight, and nobody seemed to care. It didn't take much longer after that before the party started to dissolve. Gwen and Ianto were too drunk to drive, but Jane offered to take them home. She had promised to bring Unique and Kevin home anyway, and hadn't had much alcohol except for the champagne, so she was technically sober. Charlie left when her mother came to pick her up a half hour ago.

"Cas. Is Castiel still here?" Dean knew that he was supposed to go with Ianto and Gwen home, but Dean hadn't seen him since they left the rooftop to go downstairs again.

John sighed. "He's still here. I don't know what happened, but he just collapsed and I had to get him to bed. I guess he's not used to drinking so much." Dean nodded. "Good. Good. You're a good guy, John Hart." He took another hit when John handed him the joint back.

"You like him don't you?" John leaned back on the couch and rested his head against the wall. "Cas I mean. You like him a lot." Dean drew his breath heavily before he turned to look at John. "I do, but it's a secret. I don't like, er, I, he's so nice and sweet and…" He knew he'd said too much, but he also knew that John was aware of this already. "Don't tell anybody, I'm scared. I don't want to like him like that."

John wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "It's nothing to be scared of. I think he likes you too. Did you kiss him on the roof?" He nodded towards the open door to the rooftop. Dean shook his head. "No I didn't. Should I have? I wanted to, but I was afraid I would…" He had to stop. John was getting too much information, and the guy was a notorious teaser. "You kissed him, didn't you?"

John chuckled silently. "I did. Castiel's first kiss ever. Are you jealous?" Dean stared at John. "First kiss ever, you're joking?" For a moment he felt sober, but it didn't last long. "You didn't know? That's what we talked about at Gwen's party. That's why I kissed him on the cheek. If you hadn't attacked me I would probably have tried to make out with him just as a curtesy. I'm glad I didn't though. You would probably have killed me."

Dean knew that John was exaggerating, but he understood. The rage he felt when he thought John was hitting on Castiel came out of nowhere, but he kind of knew that it had nothing to do with the actual kiss. He got jealous, and it had scared the crap out of him. Anger was the only outlet he could think of, but he never really planned to attack John. The little peck on the cheek was just the little drop that was needed to set him off.

"I like girls you know." He tried to focus on John, but his vision was a little blurry. "I also like girls. One doesn't rule out the other." John patted him on the back. "I have never been picky, and I hate labels. If you are in love with the choirboy, you should just embrace it. Love is love."

"I'm not in love with him." Dean scoffed. "It's not like that. I just, I, er, hm…" He couldn't be in love with a guy. That was just too ridiculous. John's rationalisations didn't apply to him. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. Can I just sleep here? Those stairs are pretty steep." He lied down and tried to kick John off the couch.

"Sure. I should get back down anyway. Jack probably thinks that we are 'doin it'." He walked over to the door and closed it. "Sleep tight. And just so you know, I _can_ keep secrets."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto had a hard time falling asleep. He was picturing John and Jack together, and it bothered more than he wanted to admit to himself. John's house was big enough for everybody to stay overnight, but Ianto got a clear impression that John wanted them out. It wasn't anything he said, and he seemed somewhat sad when they left, but there was something undefined in the air.

Jack was obviously going to spend the night, and that made Ianto extremely jealous. He had noticed the clandestined glanced the two of them had shared, and one didn't have to be a genius to understand what that meant.

He tried to push it away. It was just silly to think of because there was nothing he could do about it regardless.

Gwen and Ianto had agreed that he was going to go pick up the car in the morning, but now he regretted that. He could of course just get the car without John's knowledge, but it would be very impolite. Going inside to get his worst thoughts confirmed didn't seem like a good option either. If he could convince Gwen to go anyway, it would probably be for the best.

There was still that urge to know though. If John and Jack became an item, it would be sort of devastating. Not only did he feel that he would lose his best friend, but in his drunken state in the middle of the night, he had to admit that he was falling head over heels for Jack.

It was a serious pickle he'd gotten himself into. He didn't know if it would have made a difference, but he was beating himself up for being so scared and bothered by his own feelings. If he'd just dared to step up, he could possibly have prevented this.

Or maybe not. John and Jack could of course be in love, and that would be a different story, but for some reason Ianto didn't believe that. He was pretty sure that if the two of them hooked up, it was purely for sex. And if they hooked up once, nothing would prevent them from doing it again and again.

Getting between them would be very difficult if that happened, and Ianto knew it in his heart that he wasn't man enough to even try.

That was that then. The ship was sailing while he lied there and felt sorry for himself. He reached for his phone and found John's number. After several tries to write a text that could explain his concerns without revealing too much he gave up. There was really nothing to say. He looked at his phone again and scrolled to Jack's name and opened messages. He wrote 'I love you' before he erased it again.

He tried again. 'Wish you were here'. He started to hum the Pink Floyd song as he erased that one too. 'So, so you think you can tell…' Ianto looked at the text and wondered if Jack would understand the implied meaning. He didn't know if Jack was that into Pink Floyd to know the lyrics. He held his finger over the 'send' button before he changed his mind. There wasn't any point in it anyway. He was about to remove the message when the phone almost slipped out of his hand, and before he knew it the text was sent on it's way.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

There was something familiar with the words in that weird text message Jack got just before he fell asleep, but at that point he couldn't for his life remember why. It could have been just a half a message that Ianto failed to finish, but the ellipses at the end told him otherwise. A bit drunk and a lot tired, he decided to check it out in the morning, but when he woke up he'd totally forgotten about it.

When John refused to get out of bed, Jack went downstairs to see if he could find food and coffee. Dean came down shortly after, and after a quick greeting he went to find his brother. They opted to get home, and didn't stay for breakfast. Jo practically crawled in there and begged for mercy.

Ianto had said that he was going to come as soon as possible to get the car, so when Dean offered to take her home, she declined. "I have to get to Gwen's, so I can just as well wait."

Cas came down a little while ago and he was not feeling very good either, but after a cup of Jack's industrial strength coffee, he started to look better.

All three of them were still at John's house when Gwen came to pick up the car. They had expected Ianto, but Jack was relieved when the girl came instead. He knew there shouldn't be any reason for it, but he didn't feel that he could have looked Ianto in the eyes at this very moment.

Gwen got clearly surprised when he opened the door, and she stared at him a little suspiciously. "Oh, you're still here. Anyone else?" She entered, but stopped just inside. Jack smiled at her and nodded. "Cas and Jo are here. Jo got a call from her mom asking if she wanted to be picked up, but she had to decline. Aparently she's at your place." He gestured for her to follow him.

"Yeah, that's what she told her parents, I guess I have to take her home then. What about Cas? How is he getting home?" She kicked off her shoes and walked behind Jack through the dining room and towards the kitchen.

Jo and Castiel was sitting at the counter, Cas waved when she approached. "My dad is furious. He called this morning and I told him that we stayed up all night in the lobby of the nursing home, but I don't think he believed me. I'm gonna be grounded for life." He didn't seem too concerned though as he grabbed a couple of finger sandwiches left after the party.

"Where's John?" She reached out and took a sandwich herself. "I should thank him for a great party." Jack pointed up. "He's upstairs. He hasn't been down here at all. We had to find food ourselves."

Gwen scoffed. "Hung over? I'm not too peachy myself today, but I got up at a reasonable hour." She slumped down on a stool. "You have any coffee?" Jack went over to the cupboard and found a cup for her. "I don't think he's hung over, no." He wasn't sure why John didn't come downstairs, but he knew that it wasn't because of a hangover. He poured some coffee in it before he handed it to Gwen.

"So you have talked with him?" Gwen looked at him before she took a sip. "Yuck, what is this? Tar? You have any milk?" She put the cup down. "So you have talked with him? What's the matter then?"

Jack had no idea if there was any milk, but he went into the walk-in cooler to check. "Nope. No milk. Yeah, he was kinda chipper when we woke up, and he said he was feeling alright." He poured himself some more coffee. "I think the coffee is fine, you're just complaining for no reason."

Gwen looked down at her cup before she jerked her head up and stared at him. "When _we_ woke up?" Instantly, Jack knew he'd said too much. The little slip was inexcusable, but Gwen was complaining about the coffee, and he kind of forgot that it was supposed to be a secret. "Well, I slept in his room, but…" He knew he had to lie, and tried to come up with something that would sound plausible. "We were sitting in his room talking after you all had left, and then we just passed out."

Jack was satisfied with what he came up with on such short notice, and it looked like Gwen was buying it. "That's not even close to the truth." Jo rolled her eyes. "I saw you!" She'd barely said a word since the Winchester brothers left about an hour ago. After their departure, she had dragged herself into the kitchen and practically crawled up on one of the stools begging for silence, and Jack wished that she would have honored it herself. "You guys were practically doing it in front of me."

Castiel hadn't said much either since he came downstairs after sleeping it off in one of the guestrooms. "Really? What did I miss?"

Jo was about to reply, but Jack intervened. "Okay, we made out, but it was not, er, it was not… We..., it was nothing." He looked at Gwen. "Really. It was nothing. We just… it was New year's eve, and John wanted to make out with everybody." He tried hard to remember if they did or said anything that would contradict him.

"He made out with you on the roof, so why did he have to do it again. He didn't make out with me at all." Jo threw her hands out. "I'm just saying." She drew her breath. "I was, er, still are I think, drunk, but I had one clear moment and that was when the two of you almost started to undress each other in the living room. Made out, pfft. That was foreplay if you know what I mean."

Gwen shook her head. "I'm not even going to try to get to the bottom of this. If you and John hooked up, it's okay. Nobody will hold it against you. It's kind of cute." She pushed the coffeecup away and stood up. "I can't drink this, but we really have to go anyway. Get ready guys."

Both Jo and Cas looked a little disappointed, but they complied. Jo went into the living room to get her purse, and Castiel ran upstairs to find his jacket and his tie.

"Nothing happened really, but could you not say anything about this to Ianto?" Jack looked at Gwen. "And can you please tell those two to keep their mouths shut also?" The look on Gwen's face told him that he again had been a little careless.

"What the hell does Ianto have to do with this?" Gwen looked a little puzzled, but then she just shrugged. "I'm sure he'll be happy for you." She started to walk away just as Jo returned, and shortly after that Castiel came down and joined them. "Okay. I have to meet my fate. If you don't see me again, come save me." Cas giggled a little and grabbed Gwen's arm. "Let's spend my last few minutes of freedom together."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"That's enough." Dean shook his head. "So you slept on the same couch. No kissing, no fondling, no nothing. She was drunk and passed out next to you. That doesn't mean shit." He was sick and tired of Sam's ranting about Jo. There wasn't much to rant about, but his brother was unable to let it go.

"Did you even kiss her on the rooftop? No you didn't. There's nothing to be so excited about. She's not 'your girl'." He was tired and grumpy, and didn't need his lovestruck brother to keep him from getting a couple of more hours of sleep.

Sam had practically been hyper since they left John's house, and he couldn't stop trying to analyze everything that Jo had done after they went up to the roof. Dean had to admit that she behaved rather strange, but he just thought that she was afraid of fireworks.

She had been clinging to his brother the whole time they were up there, and according to Sam, she hadn't even tried to greet anybody else. She was still holding on to him when they went downstairs again, and Sam had manouvered them onto the couch where she passed out pretty quickly.

"Drunk girl. She didn't know what she was doing. Let it go." He walked over to the alcove. "If you don't need more sleep, it's fine, but I'm going to go to bed now."

He remembered vaguely that he and John had spent a few minutes together in the loft before he fell asleep, but it didn't take long before he woke up again. It was very cold, and he tried to find something to cover himself with. When he didn't succeed, he decided to find better accommodations.

One floor down, he entered a room to find Castiel sleeping soundly in a big king size bed. He wanted to crawl in there, but even if he was both stoned and drunk, he didn't dare, so he just slumped down on the floor next to the bed. It was at least a bit warmer in there.

He did sleep a little, but it was choppy and when he eventually decided to get out of there, he was also a bit sore from sitting in the same position for the longest time.

Bottom line was that he needed to go to bed. He had this day off before he had to be at work, and he knew that if he heard Jo's name mentioned one more time, he would punch his brother.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Bed's too big without you

Cold with blows right thru' my open door

I can't sleep with your memory

Dreaming dreams of what used to be."

John loved his bed, and he'd never ever thought that it was too big for one person, but after Jack left the room he felt lonely between the sheets.

"...No regrets, no love, no tears

Living on my own was the least of my fears."

Sting's words hit him hard. He'd just turned on some music to try to forget about his own feelings, but this song made it even worse. The only thing he could hope for was that Jack didn't go around and tell everybody what happened during the night. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy it, but 'no regrets' didn't really apply.

"Every day, just the same

Old rules for the same old game

All I gained was heartache

All I made was one mistake."

He knew he should have got up and taken care of the guys that had spent the night, but facing them right now wasn't something he looked forward to. He also expected Ianto to come pick up the car, and he definitely didn't want to look the guy in the eyes at the moment.

John strongly felt that he'd been cheating. He wanted Ianto, and now he'd gone ahead and really screwed that up. Not that he would have had a chance with him anyway. Ianto didn't seem very interested, and it was quite possible that he was completely straight.

When he came downstairs after the little intermezzo with Dean, Jack had tidied up all the glasses and the empty bottles around the living room. He had also managed to find a blanket for Sam and Jo who were cuddled up on the couch.

John found it a little awkward to approach, but Jack solved that just fine. He had poured whiskey into two tumblers and waved John over to the loveseat. "A nightcap?" He lifted his glass and patted the white leather next to him.

They never drank it. As soon as John was seated they kind of fell into each others arms and picked up where they'd left it about twelve hours ago.

That they weren't alone in the room was soon forgotten, so when Jo emitted a soft grunt they both got a little startled. The girl looked like she was still sleeping, but they realized that it would be better to take it upstairs.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Missing**

A few days later school was back, and after fourth period, they all met up in the choir room. The two Sams entered a little after, and the young Winchester got introduced as Mr Evans assistant. Everybody knew about it at this time, so it didn't come as a surprise, but they all cheered and whooped welcoming their newest member.

"Where's Cas?" Sam Evans panned the crowd. They hadn't had time to miss him yet, and they all looked around as if the guy was hiding somewhere in the room. "Did anyone see him today? Has he been to school?" Gwen got up and started pacing. "This is my fault, I…" She stopped when several of the students spoke simultaneously. "Yes", "I did," "He was in Spanish", "I met him in the hall this morning", "We left English together, but then he vanished", "He was on the bleachers around lunchtime", "I think his brother came. Maybe he took him home."

The last remark made Gwen flip her head around and look at Kevin. "What did you say?" She sounded angry and Kevin seemed to get a little startled. "Well, uh, I just saw them in the parking lot. I think it was his brother. I remember him from a picture on Cas' facebook."

Mr Evans walked over to Gwen and forced her down on a seat. "What's going on? Why would it be your fault if he doesn't show?" Gwen looked down for a second, and it could seem like she was struggling to compose herself. "Well, it's kind of not, but I lied for him and now he's grounded for life."

With all the commotion around Castiel's whereabouts, nobody but one student noticed the under other circumstances quite obvious tension between three of the other members. John and Jack were sitting as far apart as possible, while Ianto was seated in the middle of the crowd. The latter kept throwing glances at the two others, and it could look like he was in pain.

Jack and John seemed to do their best to ignore each other, as they both kept a keen eye on Ianto. Jo was interested to know what had happened with Cas, but she couldn't rip her eyes away from the three of them. She knew that John and Jack hooked up after the party, and a few month ago she would have found it a little repulsing. Now she thought it was quite cute, but it didn't seem like the two boys agreed with her.

What Ianto had to do with anything, she definitely didn't grasp. She had a theory that John and Ianto could have had a thing, but she'd spent a lot of time with the two of them over the last semester, and there were no indication that they were more than friends.

The weird tension could of course be due to something totally different, but she couldn't for her life think of anything.

She got a little thrown off task when she noticed Dean sitting in the back nervously biting his nails. That was so out of character for him that she for a moment forgot about the three others. Dean was staring at Gwen and Mr Evans as they discussed what could have happened to Cas, and if Ianto looked like he was in pain, Dean seemed like a guy who'd just received a death sentence.

"Okay. We don't know what's going on, but I will find out. In the meantime, we have to do what we came here to do." Mr Evans stood up in front of the class. "Let's not assume the worst." He walked over to the whiteboard and grabbed a marker. "I want duets. I want new pairs. Pick someone you haven't sung with before and give me something good." He turned to them. "We have only weeks to go before regionals, so make this count."

In the corner of her eye, Jo noticed that John and Jack finally looked at each other. The rest of the students tried to find someone to sing with and they were pretty loud. A couple of them approached Jack, but he shook his head and kept staring at John.

She was so focused on them, that when Kevin came up to her and ask if they could do a duet together, she just nodded in agreement. She didn't care.

After a few minutes of chatter, Dean was the only one without a companion. He hadn't said a word as far as Jo knew, but now he sighed as he got up from his chair. "I guess it'll be me and Cas then." He sighed heavily again. "I'll try to get a hold of him before tomorrow."

Garth had moved over to the band and was talking with Brad. Charlie was practically tap-dancing behind him, and she looked a little nervous.

The two of them had obviously already rehearsed a song, and when Brad started playing, Jo recognized the melody, but she couldn't quite remember what it was.

"When I was in the third grade

I thought I was gay…"

Garth didn't quite match Macklemore, but he did good. Everybody quieted down and stopped what they were doing. Jo had heard the song many times before, but she hadn't really listened to the lyrics before.

"America the brave still fears what we don't know

And "God loves all his children" is somehow forgotten

But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago

I don't know."

Charlie closed her eyes before she took a step forward and started singing the chorus. For the first time since this song was released, Jo really got what this song was all about and she felt embarrassed.

"And I can't change

even if I tried

even if I wanted to

And I can't change…"

Charlie was clearly nervous as she sang the lines, but although a little shaky, her voice was clear and pure. There were rumors about Charlie's sexuality. She had never confirmed or denied, but nobody in Glee-club had really cared,

"She keeps me warm

She keeps me warm

She keeps me warm…"

That she sang this song didn't really confirm anything, but it didn't matter. Jo had for the longest time felt that homosexuals just wanted attention. Maybe some of them did, but listening to the lyrics of the song, she realized that it had nothing to do with that.

"Gay is synonymous with the lesser

It's the same hate that's caused wars from religion

Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment

The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins

It's human rights for everybody, there is no difference!"

Tears started to run down her cheeks. She'd thought that she'd accepted gays. She really liked John and Jack hooking up, but this wasn't about two guys getting together. This had to do with a whole mindframe that she had never thought of before.

"No law is gonna change us

We have to change us

Whatever God you believe in

We come from the same one

Strip away the fear

Underneath it's all the same love.."

Jo was sobbing as Charlie stepped forward to do the chorus again. She tried to hide it as best as she could and since everybody was looking at Garth and Charlie it kind of worked. She felt a hand on her shoulder, but didn't look up. From looking at the shoes of the person standing next to her she knew it was Unique, and the embarrassment grew. Jo had been so mean to her when they first met, and now she came over to comfort her.

"Love is patient

Love is kind

Love is patient

Love is kind…"


	21. Could this go anywhere

**a/n: I am very bored with this fic, and according to the hits, it's not a hit among readers either. I was excited about to begin with, but I realize now that it has no real drama; there's hardly no sex (so far) and the crossovers are just a little too much. I'm not the kind of person that will abandon a project, so I will finish this no matter what, but I realized that I didn't even like Glee that much. The only thing it had going for it was the music, and that's the only thing that keeps me hanging in here as well.**

* * *

Dean contacts Castiel and it looks like the two of them are going to spend some time alone together. Jack and Ianto are also hanging out, working on their duet. Jack is not very focused, and he also finally understands the weird text message Ianto sent him that night two weeks ago. Ianto downplays it, and demand that they stick with their task.

* * *

**Music in this chapter**

**Wish you were here - album - Pink Floyd**

-o-o-o-

**Searching for a partner**

Dean sent a quick text to Castiel as soon as he could. He just asked what was up, and didn't elaborate. When the session in the choir room was over without any reply, he tried again. This time he added that he needed to get in touch because of some Glee-club business.

Sam hung back in the choir room to talk to Mr Evans about his actual chores, so Dean headed for the car while he stared at his phone waiting for Cas to answer the text.

It felt good to have a real reason to contact him, because else it would have been way too awkward. He was leaning on the car still waiting for his the ping of an incoming text, when Unique came towards him. "Did you get a hold of him?" She looked concerned. "I was thinking about going there to talk to him myself."

Dean stared at her. "You? In that outfit? That will go around well in the home of a rigid pastor." He knew that he sounded prejudice to both Unique and the Novak family, but he couldn't help himself. Unique didn't seem to take it very offensively, but there was a little disgruntled tone to her voice when she replied. "So you think, but I've met them before. I've been to his church."

She cocked her head and threw him a sideways glance. "I can go home and change, and then we can go there together if you want?" Dean thought about it for a moment, before he shook his head. "No. I don't think so. I'll just call him. It'll be okay."

He didn't want Unique or Wade or whatever she or he wanted to call herself to be anywhere near when he spoke to Castiel again. He had experienced her big mouth and her way too accurate perception of Dean's delicate little problem, so he was pretty sure she wouldn't be any asset for him. Worst case scenario, she could easily scare Cas away from him, making sure that Dean couldn't do that duet.

"I'm going regardless." Unique shrugged and started to walk towards her car. "Castiel and I are good friends, and I can put in a good word for you if you like." She gave him a wink. "I'm that friend he can talk to about everything. His father seemed to like me as well, although I'm not a frequent flyer in church. He knows that I'm attending on a more random basis than the Novak family, but he also knows that I'm a member of a congregation."

Dean knew exactly what she was trying to do, and it worked. "Wait!" He pushed away from his car and followed her. "So I'm screwed if I do and I'm screwed if I don't? Is that what you're saying?" Unique seemed suddenly very interested in something up in the sky, but the little smirk told Dean that she was just trying to drag it out on purpose.

Finally, she let the clouds go their own merry way, and looked at Dean. "Honestly? I don't think I can fool anyone for long with my macho persona." She paused and sent Dean a penetrating stare when he was about to burst out laughing. "Oh shut up. But you know what I mean. You on the other hand, are as macho as they come, and together we can manage to even it out a bit."

It made absolutely no sense, but Dean wanted to know what she was thinking. "And what will be the purpose of that? Not that I believe that the two of us together would make any difference for me. I just need him to show up for rehearsals."

Unique rolled her eyes. "Yeah well, I want that too, but if he's grounded and not allowed to attend, we have to negotiate with the pastor." She threw her hands out. "If his dad believes that Glee-club is made up by a group of fairies, we've lost before we got into the race."

That actually made a little more sense. If anyone were going to convince the guy that Glee was for all kinds of people, Dean and Unique would make a great couple of negotiators. It wouldn't help if Mr Novak had made his decision and stuck with it, but if he was just pissed off because Castiel didn't come home on New Year's eve, it could have nothing to do with Glee.

They just had to persuade him into believing that Castiel was crucial to the club's survival, and that he could find other means to punish him for lying.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto hung back for a little while. He didn't want to talk with anyone. His biggest fears had turned out to be true, and he did not want to have to act happy and cheerful in front of John. Not in front of Jack either for that matter, but he didn't hang out with him outside of school.

When Gwen came back after picking up the car on New Year's day, she'd told him everything that happened when she was at John's house. She'd also revealed that Jack asked her to keep it to herself, although she wasn't quite sure what exactly he meant by that. In spite of Jo's words, he had denied that anything really happened between him and John.

John and Ianto had exchanged a few words over the last few days, but only in texts. His mother was back, and they had family coming over so he was kind of stuck. Ianto was happy about that, he wouldn't know what to say or how to behave in front of his friend after the revelations.

They had also met in the lunch room earlier that day, but it could seem like John was trying to avoid being alone with him. It suited Ianto fine. That Jack seemed to avoid him as well, was a little more puzzling, but that could be his own imagination playing tricks on him.

After seeing Jack in the choir room, he soon disagreed with himself. The guy kept sending him clandestine glances, and the look on his face resembled a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. So maybe Jack liked him a little, so what. So he had just picked up someone to have sex with, and then he expected that it could be kept under wraps so that he could go ahead and pick up someone else without looking like a slut.

Ianto decided that the best thing to do was to let it go. He hadn't heard from him at all after the party, and he had not replied or even mentioned the weird text that Ianto sent by accident.

When they picked partners for the duets, it looked like John and Jack were going to do it together. Ianto didn't make much of an effort, but ended up pairing up with Mason. It was fine, Mason was a good singer, and he liked all kinds of music.

He knew he should have made plans with the guy so they could rehearse together, but at the moment Mason was standing by the door with John. Jack was watching them from a distance, but it he was obviously listening keenly to the conversation.

Suddenly, Mason waved over towards Ianto, and it looked like he was about to come over, but Jack stepped in front of him and said something. Mason just shrugged, then he turned and left the room with John.

"I hope you don't mind, but me and John couldn't agree on anything, so he wanted to sing with Mason instead." Jack didn't look Ianto in the eyes as he came towards him. "I think he would have preferred to work with you, but you have already sung together many times. Mr Evans wanted new pairings, you know."

Ianto knew perfectly well where this was going and he got a little angry. If the three of them thought that they could make plans for him and decide who he was going to sing with, they were making a mistake. "I'm sure Gwen will be happy to work with you. I'm fine singing with Jane. Let me go ask her. She is waiting for me by the car."

Jack looked a little thrown, but didn't falter. "No, well. That's okay I guess, but I really want to work with you. I mean… If you absolutely don't want to, I'm sure we can come up with another solution, but could you at least think about it?"

Ianto thought about it for a second, and came to the conclusion that he had no reason whatsoever to turn Jack's offer down. That he was sick with jealousy wasn't something he was very keen on revealing, so if he didn't want to do it, he had to come up with a good lie. Nothing really came to mind. "No, it's okay. I was just… a little pissed because I wasn't asked before the three of you decided."

Jack slapped his hands together and smiled. "Great. I know we don't have the same taste in music, but it's gonna work, right?" He cocked his head. Ianto did the same. "Oh, I don't know. I'm very versatile." He shrugged and threw a quick glance at Jack.

It could look like Jack found the comment extremely funny, and he seemed to be fighting with himself not to laugh. "That's fine. I'm rather versatile myself, so this is going to be perfect." He patted Ianto on the shoulder. "So when? I'm free anytime. I have nobody waiting for me so if you want to get started now it's okay."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When Castiel received a text from Unique that she wanted to come to his house, he got a little surprised. When he noticed two texts from Dean as well, he kind of got it. He hadn't told anyone why he had to leave school in such a hurry, and now they're worried. It felt good to know that Dean was the one who texted him, but at the same time he got a little wary about it.

"I'm not at home. I'm at the hospital. Call you later." He sent it knowing that Unique wouldn't find it very comforting. "I'm fine by the way. I'll be at school tomorrow." He was about to send that too, but then he added: "I'm not grounded." He should probably have texted Dean as well, but he needed time to compose a good one, so he postponed it.

He walked back to the hospital room where his dad was propped up in the bed. Tubes and cords were sticking out from under the blanket, and the man looked rather pale. The heart-rate monitor emitted a steady beeping sound, and ever so often there was a hiss from the blood pressure device.

Gabriel had gotten a big scare when he came home to find their dad on the floor in the living room clenching his chest. He called 911 and the man got rushed to the hospital. After Mr Novak had been hooked up to all the equipment, Gabe left to go back to get some clothes and toiletries for him. On his way he'd stopped by McKinley to find his brother. He didn't want to tell him on the phone, worried that Cas would freak out.

"It was a heart attack, and they want to keep him overnight." Gabriel didn't look very peachy himself, but Cas could easily understand that. At the time Castiel learned about what happened, his dad had already taken care of, so even if he got a little scared, he trusted the doctors to know what they were doing.

Gabriel, on the other hand, was the one who had the fear that their dad was going to die in his arms as they were waiting for the ambulance, and he was still somewhat shook up about it.

Although a little tired, his father was in good spirits. He had talked to the doctor, and they were satisfied with the readings so far. They were going to evaluate him for surgery, but wanted him to stay overnight so they could run some more tests in the morning.

He urged the boys to go home, but Gabriel refused "You can go Cas. You have school in the morning. I don't have to be back to Uni until Wednesday."

Castiel didn't want to stay. He had had more than enough of hospitals when his mom was sick, so when both his dad and his brother told him to go, he complied. Rachel and Michael were down south visiting friends in their old neighborhood in Georgia, but they had cut the trip short when they heard about what had happened to their father. They still couldn't make it back tonight, so for the first time in his life, Castiel would be spending the night alone in the house.

He stopped at Domino's to buy a pizza. He hadn't eaten since lunch and he didn't want to have to make anything. While he was waiting for the pizza, his phone beeped. "Are you alright? We have to talk." The text from Dean made his heart skip a beat, and he wondered why the guy needed to speak with him. "I'm fine. What's up?"

Seconds later his phone rang, and Dean's name came up on the screen. He picked up and before he got a chance to say anything Dean started talking. "Well, we got this assignment and we have to do duets, and I ended up with you. I just worried that you wouldn't be back in Glee-club at all. That you could have been grounded. I know you didn't because I talked to Unique, but we have to come up with something, er, a duet."

Castiel felt a little ambushed, so it took a few seconds before he managed to reply. "Are you there?" Dean sounded a bit concerned. "Yes, I'm here. I, I just came from the hospital, my dad had a heart attack. I'm just a little…" He didn't get to finish the sentence. "Are you okay? Are your dad okay? I'm so sorry. Didn't mean to bother you with trivialities. We can talk tomorrow. You are coming to school tomorrow aren't you?"

Stupidity and a feeling of loneliness took over, and Castiel didn't even know where the courage to say what he said came from. "Yes, I will. He is fine, but I could really use a friend tonight. It's not that late, you can come over for an hour or two and we can see what we can come up with. I need the distraction."

The pizza was ready, and Cas dug into his pocket to find some money. "Sure. I can do that. I just have to take Sam home first." When Dean replied, Castiel's hand started to shake uncontrollably, and he was afraid he'd drop his phone. "Okay. See you." He hung up and stared at the guy behind the counter. "Can you add some breadsticks? Sorry. And a two-liter of coke."

The guy sighed heavily. "It'll take a little time." Castiel nodded. "That's okay. Oh, oh. Give me an order of wings also."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**An evening with Pink Floyd**

"I want to do a girl-power thing. Like 'Sisters are doing it for themselves', but we did that already. I can't really think of anything right now, but if you agree…" Jane looked at Gwen and didn't finish the sentence. Gwen though it sounded like a good idea, but she couldn't come up with anything at that moment either. "Sure. Should we try to find something already tonight. You can come to our place."

Jane shook her head. "I'm sorry. I have to get home, but we can skype or text or something later maybe?" They agreed that they would try to find songs and send them to each other online. "We should be able to come up with something before we meet tomorrow."

The two girls were still talking when Jack and Ianto came out. Gwen was about to say goodbye to Jane and enter the car, when Ianto waved and pointed at Jack's car. "He'll take me home. If you two girls need to talk some more about the assignment, it's okay."

It was very strange. Gwen thought that Ianto was going to do this with Mason. That could still be the fact, but why would Jack take him home? It was especially strange since she'd gotten the impression that Ianto was pissed at Jack after the hook-up with John.

She wasn't sure why, and it wasn't for the lack of trying to get an explanation from her cousin. The only thing she could think of was that Ianto was a little jealous. Maybe he was afraid he'd lost his friend to Jack.

The boys left, and Gwen spent a few more minutes with Jane as they compared the music they had on their respective phones. She arrived home shortly after the boys, and noticed that Jack's car was parked outside. So he didn't just take Ianto home; he came inside as well.

"...You were caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom,

blown on the steel breeze.

Come on you target for faraway laughter,

come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!..."

Ianto had obviously picked the music. Gwen could hear Pink Floyd played loud in the basement. She kicked off her shoes and hung her jacket on the hatstand before she entered the livingroom. "Hey. I guess Ianto is downstairs." Her aunt and uncle was trying to watch the news. They both nodded. "Hiya Gwen. Yes, he and his friend went down there. Dinner will be late, we're waiting for Rhiannon and Johnny and the kids." Uncle Ifan pointed over his shoulder towards the basement door with his thumb. "Will you tell them to turn it down?"

"…You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.

Shine on you crazy diamond.

Threatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light.

Shine on you crazy diamond."

"I will." She opened the door and descended the stairs. Ianto was trying to gather all the CDs that were spread on the floor in front of the stereo system, while Jack was sitting on the couch. "Turn the music down. Your parents can't hear the news." She sat down on the armrest next to Jack. "You are not going to go for Pink Floyd for the assignment, are you?"

Ianto turned the volume down a little before he turned to her, "No, it was just in there when I turned it on. "We are going to look through these though." He held a pile of CDs in each hand. He dumped them on the table before he picked up some more.

Jack scooted forward and started to look at them. "We haven't had time to talk about what we want to do. We're just gonna try to get an idea." Jack pushed some of them away immediately, but a few of them got a more thorough examination.

Gwen wasn't sure if she should disturb them, but she watched them for a little while. She was still curious about what Jack had said to her at John's house, but didn't know if she should bring it up.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack wasn't quite comfortable having Gwen in the room. He liked her, but the looks she sent him right now was a little disturbing, and he wondered what was eating her. Technically, he didn't wonder so much as he was worried about what she could say. "Why didn't you want Ianto to know what happened that night?" When Gwen finally spoke, Jack knew that his worries had been legit. He could see that Ianto froze up for a second, but then he continued with his task. Jack looked up briefly and he could feel that his cheeks were heating up a bit. "I, it wasn't like that. I just didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea." He held up a cover and tried to look busy reading the tracklist on the back of it.

"What was 'the wrong idea' then?" Gwen couldn't just let it go. "I don't even know what the right idea was. What Jo said, made…" Jack flipped his head around and gave her a penetrating stare. "What Jo said should not be taken seriously. She was very drunk." He could feel the anger coming on, but he did his best to hide it.

"But you asked me specifically not to tell Ianto. You didn't say 'tell nobody', and I'd just like to know why?" Gwen must have noticed that he was clenching his fists. He wasn't going to hit her or anything, and he hoped that she knew that, but she still got up from the armrest and took a few steps away from the couch. "I can see that it bothers you, but why? You and John would be so cute together. Right Ianto?"

Ianto got up from the floor with the last few CDs in his hand. He put them on the table and turned to his cousin. "Gwen. Will you please leave. This is none of your business, and not mine either. We are trying to do some school work here, and you are creating disturbance with your conspiracy theories." He pointed up the stairs. "Whatever happened or not happened, it has nothing to do with us. Please go."

Gwen just shrugged as she started to walk away. "Well. If you say so dear." She did throw them a smile as she left, but it was clear that she wasn't happy about it.

The Pink Floyd album had been playing in the background through the whole little intermezzo. Jack hadn't payed much attention, but now he leaned back and listened as Ianto walked around the table to sit down next to him.

"So, so you think you can tell

heaven from hell

blue skies from pain…"

He stopped breathing for a moment when he realized what he was listening to. He turned slowly towards Ianto and stared at him. "Was that what you meant?" It felt like he had a swarm of butterflies in his stomach as he waited for Ianto's reply.

The guy looked puzzled for a second, but then it obviously hit him. His face turned red in an instant, but he was not ready to cop to it. "What are you talking about?" Ianto leaned forward and picked up a couple of CDs from the table. "We should try to find…" Jack put a finger to Ianto's lip. "No. I mean, yes we should, but first..." He inhaled deeply, "If you hadn't been so cryptic about it I would have replied immediately."

"Running over the same old ground

What have we found?

the same old fears

Wish you were here."

He didn't know exactly what to do, but he moved his hand to caress Ianto's chin and jaw. "If you'd just told me to come, I would have."

Ianto jerked his head back. "No, no, no. Don't do this. We are going to work together. I was drunk and it was all just a joke." He pushed Jack's hand away gently. "It's not what you're thinking." He chuckled a little but it sounded a bit forced. "I never meant to send it. It was an accident."

Jack looked down. "Okay if that's what you're going with, it's okay. But I have to say that it pleased me to get a text from you even if I didn't understand shit."

Ianto scoffed. "Yeah, right. I was just stupid. Forget about it. We should get to work."


	22. Getting together isn't that easy

Castiel believes that Dean is not going to show, but he's wrong. Sam Evans is not impressed with their song choices, although Gwen and Jane have come up with something that can work for regionals. Ianto struggles to get Jack to focus on the project. Castiel tells Unique everything, and her solution to his dilemma is kind of scary.

* * *

**One hour late**

The pizza was getting cold, the wings were drying up in the little box, and the breadsticks were becoming a little chewy. Castiel was hungry, but he wanted to wait until Dean came. He did have a breadstick because it was taking too long. Maybe the guy wouldn't show up at all? Something could have happened, or he could just have changed his mind.

Cas was holding his phone, wondering if he should call and ask, but that could look a little pathetic. Not that the meal didn't already look quite pathetic already. He should have told Dean that he was ordering, or at least asked him if he wanted some food when he came over.

For some odd reason, he and Dean were going to do a duet together. Did Dean ask for it, or did somebody else do the picking? Knowing a little bit about how Dean handled these assignments, Cas wouldn't be surprised if the two of them ended up on a team because Cas was absent.

If everybody else picked a partner, and Dean just sat there waiting for someone to ask him, as he often did, it was inevitable that he'd have to pair up with the one person who was not there.

After months together in that choir room, Dean was still the odd one out. He often got chosen for a lead if Mr Evans got his say, and for a few assignments he had been a quite popular choice, but most of the time he just ended up with whoever needed an extra voice.

That breadstick didn't do much to clench the hunger, so Castiel grabbed the pizza box and slumped down on the couch. He could just as well eat; it had been more than an hour since he came home, and Dean was obviously not in a hurry to get there.

It was still edible, and Cas didn't care if it wasn't warm anymore. He'd really looked forward to sharing this with Dean, and the disappointment was ruining his appetite. He only ate it because his stomach was growling, and he was pretty sure that a fresh-out-of-the-oven pizza wouldn't have made a difference.

Half way into his second slice, the doorbell rang. Castiel threw the slice back in the box and closed it. He picked it up and practically threw it on the counter as he ran through the kitchen to get the door.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They didn't have any food at house, so Dean and Sam had to go to the convenient store to get some supplies before they went home. When they got there, the building was surrounded by police cars, and two of the meth-heads in the basement were lying face down on the pavement.

Getting to the door unnoticed would be impossible, so Dean just turned the car around and drove away. He could just go to Castiel's and explain that he had to bring his brother. Cas already knew that they lived in a crappy house with whores and drug addicts, so he would probably understand.

"I could go home." Sam shrugged. "I'm clean. There's no reason for them to bother me." Dean shook his head and threw a quick glance at his brother. "You think? What if they start asking questions? What if they find out that dad hasn't been there for months?" He rolled his eyes. "I think it's better to wait until they've gone. I'm sure Cas will be fine with it."

Sam had picked out his phone and scrolled through his contact list. "Okay, okay. But let me call Kevin. You can take me there if he's home." He put the phone to his ear. It didn't take long before he had Kevin on the other end. "Are you home? Can I come over? I'm in a little bit of a pickle." Dean noticed that Sam smiled a little shyly as he listened to his friend's reply. "Okay. I'll be there shortly."

He hung up and turned to Dean. "Jo is there. They are working on the duet." He couldn't stop grinning, and Dean just huffed. Kevin lived in the totally opposite direction from Cas, and not too far from McKinley. "This will take time. I should probably call Cas and tell him."

Dean never did that, and he felt like shit when he finally parked outside the house. Cas knew where they lived and could have estimated how long it would take for Dean to drive Sam home. He had probably expected him to be there almost an hour ago give or take. He pressed the doorbell and hoped that Cas wouldn't be too disappointed.

"I'm so sorry. We had a little bit of a problem on the way. I was going to call…" He walked behind Castiel into the kitchen. "Oh, you have pizza?" He looked at the box, and could feel that his mouth watered up. He hadn't eaten anything for almost eight hours, but with everything going on he hadn't realized how hungry he was.

"Yeah, but it's cold. I was hungry, but I didn't really have much of an appetite." Castiel opened the box revealing almost a whole pizza. "I can heat it up if you like?" He shrugged and nodded towards the microwave.

Dean was too hungry to even care. "No it's fine. So I can just…" He grabbed a slice. "Man, if I'd known, I would have kicked Sam out of the car and come over immediately. This is so good." He took another piece before he realized that Cas was just standing there watching him eat. "Sorry. Are you not having any?" Castiel shook his head. "No. I'm fine. Go ahead."

Never ever had cold pizza tasted so good. After the third slice, Dean started to explain what happened that made him so late. "We knew about it all along, and I'm just happy they didn't blow up the house before they got busted." He pointed to a little box next to the pizza. What's that? Wings?"

Castiel didn't seem to hear him. He's eyes widened, and he looked a little scared. "Are you telling me that there is, er, was a meth-lab under your apartment?" He seemed to have a hard time breathing. "Did we actually sit on a bomb on Christmas day?"

Dean could understand Castiel's concern; he had never thought about it that way though. "Well no. I don't think they were cooking that day. It's just a small business. Crappy stuff. Is that chicken wings?" He pointed to the little box again.

"Sure, sure." Cas pushed it towards him. "They have dried up I think, but you're welcome to them. Seriously. You can't live in a place like that." The concern in his voice was a little bothersome, but Dean chose to ignore it. "It's not like we have much of a choice. Cheap housing like that is not easy to come by."

He didn't like where this was going. He didn't want Castiel to feel sorry for him. "Good!" He lifted a wing up. "Thank you so much for the meal. It suits me fine that you didn't have an appetite. Sorry. That came out wrong." Dean chuckled a little. "Don't worry about me. We get by. Should we get to work, or…" He realized that he hadn't mentioned Castiel's troubles. "Oh, man. I totally forgot. I'm so, so sorry. How's your dad doing?" He put his hand on top of Castiel's. "How are you holding up? I'm such a lousy friend. Just coming here eating your food, not giving much thoughts to your struggles."

Castiel pulled his hand away slowly. "It's fine. I'm fine. He is okay for now." He sighed heavily. "You are not a lousy friend. You came and you took my mind off it. Let's look at some songs. There's nothing we can do about any of our problems right now."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Did you all collaborate on this assignment, or is this just a coincidence?" Sam held up a pile of papers. "I mean it's okay, but…" He picked one out. "Gwen and Jane. I never even heard about 'Little MIx' before, but I did listen to the song. Girl-power?" He pointed to the paper. "This is almost a declaration of war."

It didn't look like he was angry or annoyed by their choice, but he sent them a crooked smile as he put the paper down on the desk. "And we have Chapman's song about revolution." He held up another piece of paper and then put it on top of the first one. "One about lost employment and poverty." He kept sifting through the pile.

"Wake me up when September ends? Kind of weird choice for the two of you, but it fits perfectly with the rest of these songs. He looked directly at John and Mason. "With Garth and Charlie's performance yesterday, almost all of these songs are political statements. Is it a coincidence?"

Most of the student's in there looked at each other and giggled. "We were not in on it." Gwen threw her hands out. "But if so, does it matter?"

Mr Evans shook his head. "No, not at all. I kind of like this. We can make it a theme for regionals. If all of you chose these songs because you really mean that they say something about your own feelings, we can utilize that." He bobbed his head a little. "Mind you, we have to be careful about our choices. We want to win, and we don't want to offend any of the judges."

He nodded towards Unique and Madison. "I really liked that 'Salute' song, but I think it would be better with more voices. You two are experienced. You can join Gwen and Jane on this. If you feel ready…" He turned to Gwen. "The two of you can do it now." He looked over at Jane. "But I want to hear the four of you next Monday in the auditorium."

Jane shook her head. "Sorry, sir. I haven't heard the song before either, and we need a little more time. Tomorrow, okay?"

Sam Evans just smiled before he panned the rest of the choir. "If anybody feels ready today, you can go ahead. If not, we have to work on a big number for all of you." He seemed to think about it for a moment. "My first suggestion could fit quite well into this theme." He lifted the marker and wrote on the board. 'Aquarius/Let the sunshine in from Hair.'

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Flirting and Confessions**

"Of course Jane got the lead on that." Unique sounded a little bit disappointed, but she didn't make a fuss. She was seated next to Castiel and was obviously more interested in his collaboration with Dean than she was of the song they were going to rehearse right now.

"Did you talk to Dean yesterday? He said he was going to call you." She was leaning over a little bit and whispered into Castiel's ear. Cas nodded. "Yeah, we spoke. He called me when I was on my way back from the hospital. We met and talked about the assignment."

Unique looked a little flustered for a moment. "I'm sorry. Why were you at the hospital? What happened?" Cas realized that he never told her about his dad, and he wasn't sure if he should bring it up right now. Mr Evans was handing out the sheet music for the song, and the guys in the band seemed to be ready to play.

"I was visiting my dad. I can tell you later." he grabbed two sheets of paper from Sam and handed one of them to Unique. "We have work to do."

He wanted to tell her every little detail about what happened when Dean was at his house, but this was not the time and place. He wasn't even sure if it was the right thing to do. Unique knew more about him than anybody else in there, and Cas was pretty sure that she wouldn't share the information with anyone. It was still a little scary to reveal his feelings about it. Putting them into words would make them real.

That Unique knew that he liked boys was scary enough at the moment. The fact that she had also guessed that Cas liked Dean, was even worse, but up until now, they hadn't really talked about that so much.

The urge to talk to someone about it was very strong, but it was also the most terrifying thing he could think of doing.

"Cas? Are you with me?" Unique nudged him a little. "Can you come over later? I'm very curious."

It wasn't possible. "Sorry, I have to go to the hospital, but we can…" He made a quick decision. "I'll call you. I'll tell you everything, but you have to promise not to blab about it to anybody."

It could look like Unique was about to pass out. She was fanning her face with her hand and she was almost hyperventilating. "I can't wait. I promise. Really."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gwen and Jane was hogging the basement, and they refused to let Ianto and Jack down there. It was quite annoying. Not only was the stereo system there, but it was also kind of embarrassing to invite Jack to his room. He had never thought about it when John came over even if his room was a little messy. Another small issue was that being alone with Jack was kind of intimidating in itself.

Last night had been bad enough, but Ianto had done his best to keep them both focused on finding a song. After the awkward moment when Jack started questioning the text message, they had not mentioned that anymore.

Not being particularly religious, he still thanked God for the fact that Gwen didn't suspect anything. She was a blabbermouth and a selfproclaimed faghag, so it was very importaint for Ianto to keep his feelings about Jack a secret for her.

Even if he had to admit to himself that he had a crush on Jack and that the guy turned him on big time, he was absolutely sure that he didn't want to go there. What happened between John and Jack after the party was bothering him too much.

The two of them hadn't confirmed or denied anything, but Ianto wasn't stupid. No matter how drunk Jo was when she saw them, Ianto was quite sure that she didn't make it up. That they ended up in bed together could only mean one thing. John had, ever so subtly, bragged about his experience with both boys and girls, and Jack had clearly showed that he wasn't particularly picky either.

"I'm sorry. It's a mess." Ianto opened the door to his room. "I didn't expect to have to bring you up here." He hurried to pick the dirty clothes off the floor and throw them in the hamper behind the door.

"I'm surprised." Jack walked over to the sofa and slumped down. "You always look so neat and clean cut, but you obviously have a split personality." He chuckled. "Didn't mean that. I don't care." He patted the seat next to him. "Come on. You don't have to tidy for me. I don't give a shit. We're here to rehearse, right?"

Ianto finished picking up the clothes before he reluctantly sat down on the edge of the couch. "Yeah, but we don't have music. I have all my CDs uploaded to my phone, but the speaker are..., uh, you know?"

Jack huffed. "Who cares? But do we need to find another song? Even if Mr Evans wants to go with the political theme for regionals, we don't have to do that for this particular assignment."

The two of them had picked 'Say say say', with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, but they thought of scrubbing that after the little speech from Mr Evans in the choir room. "Maybe not, but we should try. Do you know that song Gwen and Jane picked? We have to find something in that alley." Ianto shrugged and threw a quick peek at Jack.

He twisted his mind to find a suitable song. Pink Floyd, The Clash, and some other British band had a few good ones, but Jack was into musicals, so he went through a few in his head.

"So what if we can't find anything?" Jack cocked his head and smiled. "We have a song. Maybe we should…" He winked and reached out a finger and let it run down the outside of Ianto's thigh. "There's really no reason for us to spend time trying. We'll have a couple more chances to find something before the competition."

The subtle touch made Ianto lose his concentration. He swallowed hard and tried not to think of what Jack was insinuating. "RENT!" He hurried to get up and started to sift through the playlists on his phone. "We can find something from Rent."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I, er. Dad is home now." Castiel had made good on his promise to call, but it took a little while before Unique managed to guide the conversation into what she really wanted to know about. He told her what happened to his father, and she tried to comfort him.

"But he's home now, and he's fine?" She could easily understand Castiel's concerns, and she wished that she could have been there for him. "He is fine for now. He may need surgery, but they said it would be okay for him to go home."

Unique wasn't sure if she should change the subject abruptly, or ease into it. "How about you? Are you fine?" Cas confirmed that he was coping with it. "Rachel will take time off of work to help out at home, and Michael will take care of his pastoral duties. My brother is in the Seminaries you know."

She didn't know. Maybe Cas had told her at one point in time, but she couldn't remember. "Sure. So you can go about your own business as usual? I mean, you can come to glee-club and stuff."

There was a little hesitation before Cas replied. "Yeah, I guess. I don't know if I can… I think I have to help out a bit as well, so there may be limitations to my freedom." He chuckled a little. "I don't know if I can do that duet with Dean. We won't have time to rehearse, I think." It was probably her cue. "So what about Dean. You promised to share. I'm holding you to it."

Unique laughed out loud when Cas told her about the pizza incident. It was kind of sad though. She pictured Cas sitting there with his cold food waiting for Dean, and she felt for him. It didn't prevent her from finding it quite humorous. "So you didn't tell him that you got it for him?"

Cas emitted a scoff. "You think? That would have been too awkward. Anyway, I was hungry myself, so it I ordered it for myself really." He paused for a second. "It was just silly. I should have just eaten while the food was hot, and let him have the leftovers if he was interested. Sitting there like a fool waiting while my stomach was growling was just, er, silly."

It was kind of silly, but also quite adorable. "And then what happened. Did you… was there any flirting?" Another scoff came through the line. "No. He did touch my hand. It was probably just because he wanted to comfort me when I told him about my dad. I pulled away though, and after that, we pretty much only talked about the assignment"

It was a little disappointing. "So nothing? But he likes you, and you like him. You should have…" Cas cut her off. "You don't know if he likes me that way. He was just being friendly. I don't even know if I would go there anyway. That I like him doesn't mean I want to, you know, that I'm ready for, er, anything."

Unique sighed. "Cas, come on. I've seen it on his face. He is not only being a friend. Dean is into you big time. You have to be blind not to see it. And he knows that you like him back." She held her breath for a second. That was not suppose to slip out. "How would he know? I haven't told anyone but you. No, you didn't? Did you?" Cas almost sounded a little terrified. "I trusted you!"

There had to be a way out of this. Unique didn't want to lose Castiel's trust, but she knew she had been a little careless at John's party. "I'm sorry. I didn't really say much, but he was looking at you and… It was, I just said that you liked him. Not that you were in love or anything. It was at John's and I was a little tipsy at the moment. Forgive me, but I, I just… I was just joking."

Castiel was quiet for a long time, and Unique was afraid that he'd hang up on her. "Are you there?" When he finally replied, he didn't sound angry which was good but he was clearly a little annoyed. "I should have known. Joking? Yeah right. What exactly did you say?"

Unique decided to try to explain the whole conversation she had with Dean; from the trading of the leis, and up to that moment when she asked him to get her a drink. She omitted Dean's comment about Unique being delusional, and only said that he thought she was just being silly and refused to get her a drink.

"Okay. No damage has been done as long as nobody else is informed. Nobody else is informed, right?" Cas sounded a little more relaxed now. "No, I swear!" She wasn't sure if Gwen could have a suspicion, but decided not to mention it. "I don't think he's that into me. We did talk at that party, but he didn't even give me a hug on the rooftop. He was probably afraid I'd take it the wrong way." Cas sighed. "I was drunk enough not to be scared about it, but he just, he just walked away."

It was Uniques time to huff. "He was probably more scared than you. I'm sure he was afraid he wouldn't be able to let go. Dean has a reputation to maintain, so I think he needs time. You have to step up. He's never going to do anything if you don't show him that it's okay."


	23. Family can be a bother

23 **Family can be a bother**

Ianto is bothered about hanging with Jack. He want's to be with him, but he can't shake the discomfort he feels knowing that Jack and John hooked up. The girls are singing their song, and the boys are asked to step up. Daddy Winchester is in town, and it works well for a little while. About a week after his arrival he and Dean gets into an argument, and Dean takes off.

-o-o-o-o-

**Songs in this chapter**

**Salute - Little Mix - M/L: Barnes, Kelleher, Kohn, Cottone, Little Mix**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Girl Power**

The rest of the week was kind of rough for Ianto. He and Jack could not come to an agreement on what to sing. It almost felt like Jack was doing his best to sabotage the whole assignment, while Ianto wanted to get it over with. Hanging out with the guy without being affected by his subtle - and sometimes not so subtle - flirting, proved to be very hard.

That John and Jack seemed to not be on speaking terms made it all even worse. Ianto didn't want to lose John as a friend, but John had very visibly shied away when Ianto tried to get him to join them and help out finding a song.

There was really no good explanation for their behavior. If the two of them really did hook up at the party, they could at least be mature enough about it to acknowledge it. If they both regretted what they'd done, there was still no reason to beat about the bush.

What was even more bothersome was that even if the two guys didn't exchange many words over the week, they did keep a keen eye on each other. It could almost look like they both waited for the other to make a move of some kind.

Ianto just wanted this assignment to be over, so they could all move on. From next week they would all be rehearsing in the auditorium to prepare for the competition, and they wouldn't have to team up with anyone to work on their free time.

Over the weekend, Gwen had all the girls in Glee over to perfect the singing on the number Mr Evans had picked for regionals. Jo and Charlie hadn't originally been chosen, but Gwen had suggested that all the girls should do it together. It required a little rearrangement of the harmonies, but it seemed to be going well.

They invited Ianto to join them in the basement, but he didn't want to sit there like an idiot listening to their sometimes ridiculous chatter. The singing was fine, but it was a little too much girl power for his liking.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Ladies all across the world

Listen up, we're looking for recruits

If you're with me, let me see your hands

Stand up and salute

Get your killer heels, sneakers, pumps or lace up your boots

Representing all the women, salute, salute!"

Jane started the song, and walked backwards to let Unique step up for the next lines and then they all stepped forward as they joined hands and sang the chorus.

"Attention! (Salute)

Attention! (Salute)

Attention! (Huh!)

Representing all the women, salute, salute!"

Gwen and Madison did their verses and. Charlie and Jo backed them up nicely. They had picked out only girls from the orchestra to play with them, and the guitarist from the band was the only male person on stage.

"It's who we are

We don't need no camouflage

It's the female federal

And we're taking off,

If you with me, women let me hear you say."

The beat of the song was contagious, and the all the guys soon started to stomp their feet in rhythm with the music.

"Attention! (Salute)

Attention! (Salute)

Attention! (Huh!)

Representing all the women, salute, salute

Ladies, the time has come, the war has begun. Let us stand together.

And remember, men fight great, but women are great fighters

Huh!

Representing all the women, salute, salute!"

The girls did a marvelous show of it, and it was clear that their song would be their opening number for regionals. They needed two more, but it was hard to find something that would match.

Mr Evans had all the boys sing a different song every day. He wanted a good solo, and had given all of them a few options. Finding something that would work with the girl's number proved to be difficult, and they had to move away from the political theme.

For Wednesday's rehearsal he had to throw in the glove. "It would probably not go very well with the judges anyway." He threw his hands out and looked a little lost. "Whatever you can come up with, we'll try."

Castiel and Dean's Bruce Springsteen song had been received well, but Mr Evans had not been impressed with the choice. "We need more flair and fun, or a solo that will blow everybody away." He panned the choir. "It would be nice if one or two of you boys could bring something. With the girls number starting the show, I think we should opt for a male solo or duet before we have our closing number."

He looked directly at Castiel. "You haven't done a solo for a while, but I know that you are good enough." Then he nodded towards Dean and Ianto. "I want you two to step up as well. Mason, John and Jack has provided me with a few options, but I want the three of you to come up with something. Something new and fresh."

Jack looked at Cas from the corner of his eyes before he turned to throw a peek at Dean and Ianto standing in the back. He seemed a little taken aback, and he was clearly disappointed. Castiel knew that Jack had expected to be picked for this solo regardless - everybody had expected that - but now it looked like Mr Evans was of a different opinion.

Dean had a smug little smile on his face, and he didn't do anything to hide it as he stared back at Jack. Ianto just shrugged and rolled his eyes. He had never really participated in the struggles for attention; he was the kind of guy who seemed to take everything in the stride, but Cas could have sworn that there was a sparkle in his eyes that revealed that the guy was happy that Jack got knocked down from his high horse.

"Really? Really?" John was the only one that commented on it at all. "I mean, huh, what's wrong with my, er, our suggestions?" He threw his hands out as he stared at their director. Mr Evans shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing is wrong. I just want more options. We have several guys here capable of doing a solo, and I want to hear them do something that they feel for, not only what I throw at them."

Kevin took a step forward and turned to face the group. "What are you so upset about? We are a team, and we have to support each other. I'm not even considered for a solo, and I fine with that. We have a luxury problem here. Too many really good singers."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

For the first time in almost two weeks, John and Jack hung together after rehearsal. Ianto saw them in the parking lot when he and Gwen left. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, but decided to let it go. He had missed his chance with any one of them, and didn't want to let it bother him anymore.

He had no idea what he'd really missed out on, but he felt that his friendship with John was somewhat contaminated. He knew it was silly to think like that, but he couldn't help himself. With Jack it was a different story. The guy had been flirting with him ever since they met, and Ianto beat himself up a little for being such a whimp. If he'd only reciprocated a little bit, he could possibly have avoided the heartache he was put through at the moment.

He knew perfectly well that he was in love with the guy, but he knew he would never do anything about it. Going where John had been before him was not an option. That Jack behaved as if this wasn't an issue bothered Ianto more than anything else. He wished that he'd had the guts to address it, but that would mean revealing his feelings and admit that he was carrying a torch for Jack.

That both of them had been adamant about keeping their little hook-up a secret was kind of nice though. That they were especially keen on keeping it from Ianto told him that they did feel bad about it, and maybe even regretted the whole thing. It didn't matter much now. Two weeks he had spent on doing his best to push them away, and now he'd succeeded. It was almost devastating.

Gwen picked up on his bad mood as they drove home, and she did try to force him to tell her why, but he was not ready to share. For some odd reason she decided to let it go. It was not like her, and he suspected that she had a general idea. That she chose to keep it to herself, suited him fine, although it could have been nice to have someone to talk to about all this shit.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Daddy issues**

John Winchester arrived late one Friday night, and spent almost the entire weekend fussing about the fact that Dean had to go to work. Their father wanted to take the boys out, but his oldest son was way too busy to spend time with him. Sam was the one who had to deal with it.

He had looked forward to their dad's arrival, but it soon got very boring. He always knew that Dean and their father shared many interests, while Sam was the odd one out. He wanted to hang out with his friends, and when he couldn't, he was online for the most part. Sam and Mr Winchester did go out to spend some money on Saturday, and it was okay, but the two of them didn't really have anything to talk about. Sam knew perfectly well that both of them would have wanted Dean there as a buffer between them. It was always easier with the three of them together.

Sam could technically talk about anything under the sun, but it was Dean who was the funny one. For some, he could come out as moody and almost grumpy, but if he put his mind to it, he could easily lighten the mood in any room. He hadn't done so much to show this side of himself in Glee-club, but for those who had learned to know him he was well liked.

Their dad had bought them a new TV, and he spent Saturday night watching football. Dean had to turn in early, while Sam seized the opportunity to catch up with friends and acquaintances he had on the multiple different social platform he was juggling.

When Dean came home from work Sunday afternoon, a couple of hours earlier than anticipated, the three of them could finally spend some 'quality time' together as daddy Winchester put it.

That his sons had to go to school, and also were enrolled in different extracurriculars, bothered John Winchester a bit. He wanted to spend more time with them, but had to settle for what he got.

He did have enough money to pay the rent for the remainder of the school year, and he also deposited a few hundred dollars into Dean's checking account. It wouldn't last them forever, but he promised that there would be more coming as soon as he got back to work next month.

The first four days of the next week, the guy cooked and cleaned and he made sure that they had everything they needed. It even looked like he enjoyed the whole 'being a parent' concept although it was clear that he would have wanted them to be home more.

The bubble burst next Friday afternoon.

John Winchester came to pick up the boys after school. Dean was just out of football practice and on his way to the auditorium when he got the call. Sam was done with computer club, and since Mr Evans didn't need him that day, he'd opted to just watch the guys in Glee as they rehearsed since he was riding home with his brother anyway.

They both went to the parking lot to meet him, and Sam thought it was a good idea that he went home with their dad while Dean had to rehearse. Mr Winchester didn't want to hear it, and demanded that Dean came as well. "I have rented a cottage in the mountains for the weekend, and we can go fishing and maybe do some hunting."

That Dean had to go to work the next day seemed to be totally unimportant, and the three of them were in a heated argument when Cas and Unique walked by. Dean did his best to tone it down as their friends approached, and their dad managed to keep quiet for a moment.

"Hey Dean. You have to come on. You're up first." Unique was dressed in boy's clothes at the moment - he parents demanded that for class - but she was being exceptionally camp as she walked up to them and pretend-kissed Dean on both cheeks.

"I'm coming." Dean waved her away and threw her a quick but humorless smile. He gave Castiel a nod, and Sam could see that his brother got a little flustered, but he composed himself quickly.

"Tell Mr Evans that I will be there shortly." They watched as the two choir members walked away, and Dean tuned back to their dad and sighed heavily. "I can't go anywhere right now. We have a competition, and I have to be at the rehearsal. We can go later. I can ask to get time off of work, and we can go tonight."

John Winchester stared at the backs of Cas and Unique as they walked away. "So you rather hang out with the fruitcakes than with your own father? I am so proud of you for the achievements you have with the football team, but now you're disappointing me."

Sam could see that Dean got angry, and he worried that he would say things that he'd regret later. "Dad. Stop. Dean is one of the stars in Glee-club. You should come listen instead of, of… He is a really good singer." He pointed towards the school. "I can come with you. I don't have a job to go to."

He hadn't even finished the sentence before Dean just walked away. It was probably for the best. Their dad was not happy about it, but he mellowed a little. "Okay. Later then."

Later never happened. Sam and John waited for Dean to come home, but he took his time. It was almost ten o'clock when he eventually came back and their dad was furious.

"It's too late to go now, but did you at least ask for time off?" He was all packed and ready to take them and had paced back and forth for an hour already. Calls and texts hadn't resulted in anything, and Sam had actually started to worry.

"Those 'fruitcakes' are my friends and I do not like that you call them that." Dean was clearly a little tipsy when he walked through the door. "I'm sorry I'm late, but I had to take a moment and decide if I was going to be angry or not. I am angry." He slumped down on the couch and looked at his dad. "I want to spend time with you, but if you can't accept that I… I want to be in that choir."

Their dad tried to laugh away his derogatory remark, and he promised that he didn't mean to be rude. Dean demanded an apology, but didn't get it. Sam withdrew to his bed, and hoped that they would come to an agreement, but the whole argument ended with Dean walking out. Sam wondered what that would mean for the rest of the weekend, but decided not to let it bother him. Dean was a hothead, but he normally mellowed pretty quickly.

It was kind of funny though, the way he stuttered and turned into a whole different person when Castiel was around. Dean's normal demeanor seemed to be washed down the drain when that blue-eyed choirboy entered the scene.

About three months ago, Sam had been a little grossed out when he realized that Dean had some kind of a crush on Cas, but over time he'd accepted it. They had never talked about it, and Sam knew that he had to be careful with the subject. All in all, he liked that side of his brother. He was ready to embrace it if Dean ever decided to open up about it.

It would never happen with their dad around, and Sam wasn't sure if he was happy about it or not. He didn't need to be entertained; he was perfectly fine cooped up in his bed with the computer, like he always did when he was home alone. There was never a boring moment, but daddy Winchester was constantly bugging him.

A dad with two teenage sons should managed to find things to do on his own, but from Sam's point of view, he was totally unable to let loose.


	24. And for our next act: confusion

Gwen managed to restrain her curiosity. It's not easy because she is starting to see a surprising pattern in Ianto's behavior that makes it really hard to keep quiet. Ianto feels the need to confide in somebody, but is not sure that Gwen is the one. Jack and John talk about what actually happened between them on New Year's eve. There is a little confusion about the terms. Castiel receives a call from a drunk and cold Dean, and decides to go and help him. After taking him home, Cas surprises both himself and Dean.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Songs in this chapter**

**Dazed and Confused - Led Zeppelin's version - M/L: Jimmy Page (inspired by Jake Holmes)**

**Apologise - OneRepublic - M/L: Ryan Tedder**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**It's too late**

Gwen was quite puzzled by her cousin's behavior. She knew him very well. The two of them had practically grown up together as siblings when they were kids, and even if Ianto and his family moved to the US a few years back. they had stayed in constant contact with each other over the years.

He was never really moody, and he was the kind of guy who'd find solutions to any problem you could throw at him. If he didn't know the answer, he'd research until he could come up with something. That he seemed totally uninterested in most things at the moment was so out of character for him.

Gwen knew that he was kind of nerdy, and that he liked spending time alone, but now he was more reclusive than ever. She did suspect that it had something to do with Jack and John's hook-up, but she couldn't for her life understand why.

Normally he would confide in her, but he hadn't done that either. She could of course press the issue, and maybe she'd get an answer out of him, but he acted so strange that she wanted to wait for him to come to her.

A thought was tickling her 'gaydar', but she had never known Ianto to be interested in boys before, so she put that notion on the backburner for the time being. It would make sense though. If Ianto had a crush on John, he would definitely feel a little abandoned.

Knowing perfectly well that the two boys had shared a bed on multiple occasions, that thought didn't really sit well with her. As far as she knew there had never been any fooling around in that room. Gwen was pretty sure she would have noticed if there had been more than friendship between the two.

That John hadn't been to the house since the New Years party was suspicious though.

Maybe it was the other way around? Maybe John liked Ianto a little more than her cousin was ready for? If that was the case, then Ianto could have been the one who pushed the guy into Jack's arms. Maybe he was just worried that he'd lost John as a friend?

She knew she had to find out before it drove her crazy. Curiosity was her thing. It was a two edged sword, but it hadn't killed her yet.

She decided to give it another few days. They had no plans for the weekend, and if Ianto shut himself into his room as he'd done last weekend, she'd definitely take matters into her own hands. That kind of behavior wasn't healthy for anybody.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Castiel was busy trying to find a song that would please Mr Evans. He had no expectations about doing the lead at the competition, but at least he was going to try to come up with something that could work.

The fact that he was even considered for the part was quite amazing in itself, although he knew that he shouldn't take it personally. Their director obviously just wanted a different view, and since a few of them had had more than their share of solos, he needed to get some new input.

He had never really yearned for the spotlight, but with this assignment, Cas got somewhat excited about it.

His father was doing okay, but the man had a hard time being reconvalescent. Michael had to practically force him to relax and trust that his son could perform the duties that was required of a pastor. Castiel knew that his brother wasn't as confident about it as he tried to relay to their dad, but their dad had complied and had gone to bed early. Michael had gone to their church to prepare for the sermon on Sunday, and would probably not be back any time soon.

If their father had to be off of work for an extended period of time, a substitute would be provided for him, but for the time being the leader of the congregation was was satisfied with the arrangement.

Gabriel was back at uni, and wouldn't come home this weekend. Rachel was at work. Since she had asked for time off to care for their dad, they had asked her to work Friday and Saturday night instead. She was fine with that. Castiel's sister liked to work nights, although she wasn't crazy about ruining the whole weekend.

For Castiel, it meant that he pretty much had the house to himself. Mr Novak's room was at the far end upstairs, so if he closed the door, Cas could sit in the living room playing music for as long as he wanted without disturbing anybody.

He got very surprised when his phone rang a little after midnight. His surprise didn't get any less when he discovered that it was Dean. He picked it up and answered quickly. "Hey. What's up?" He tried to sound casual about even if he trembled a little.

"Sorry. Sorry. I…" There was a long pause before Dean continued. "Help me please. I'm kind of stuck in the middle of nowhere."

Dean sounded quite drunk. Castiel held the phone to his ear and wondered what to say. It felt like his brain was kind of a jumbled mess at the moment, and he wasn't sure if he could form a coherent sentence. "Er… okay? What's going on?"

_"You hurt and abuse tellin' all of your lies._

_Run around sweet baby, Lord how you hypnotize…"_

He could hear music in the background, so he knew he was still connected, but it took a long while before Dean finally said something. "I was, kind of, I was angry with my dad and left the house. Now I'm too drunk to drive."

It wasn't easy to hear him over Robert Plant's vocals, and then a drum solo from the speakers in the car almost drowned the end of the sentence. Castel still got the gist of it.

_"Every day I work so hard, bringin' home my hard earned pay_

_Try to love you baby, but you push me away…"_

Castiel knew that Mr Winchester was back, and he also knew that both Dean and Sam weren't as happy about it as they probably should have been. "So what do you want me to do about it? Where are you?" He knew he'd go and pick up Dean in a heartbeat if that was what he wanted, but he needed to know where.

The music became a little more subtle and it was easier to hear Dean when he spoke next.

"I don't know. I just took off and found a nice place to park." He sounded a bit confused so Cas decided to man up and help out. "Can you use your GPS? I mean, just go online and open maps. It will tell you where your at."

He heard a sniffle before Dean replied. "I don't have that kind of phone. I never thought I needed it. Shit! I'm gonna have to stay here till I'm sober." It could sound as if he was about to cry.

The cymbals and the drumbeat picked up again and luckily Dean was alert enough to turn down the volume somewhat.

"Hang in there. Do you remember how you got there? Do you see anything that could make it possible to find you?" Castiel had already made the decision. He knew he had to go out and help Dean.

After giving a description of the area he was in, Dean tried to explain how he got there. It was a complicated tale, but Castiel thought it would be possible to find him. Just as he was about to hang up and sneak out, he could hear Robert Plant's voice again.

_"Been dazed and confused for so long, it's not true…"_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto was twisting and turning in his bed. He never really had a problem with being alone, but at the moment he really needed a friend. He knew that Gwen would be there for him, but he was reluctant to talk to her about what was going on in his mind.

If he decided to confide in her, it would all be real, and he couldn't hide in the closet anymore. Knowing Gwen, Ianto knew that she would be very supportive and excited about it, but he didn't feel the need for that excitement right now.

He had crushed on guys before, but movie stars and famous musicians didn't really count. This time it was real. For the first time in his life he had a real crush on a real guy. The fact that this guy had flirted vigorously with him should have been good, but it was all contaminated after the happenings at John's party.

Ianto didn't want Gwen's pity either. He knew her well enough. She would be so understanding that it would be close to sickening, and that would not help at all.

He could have joined the rest of his family downstairs. They were watching a British comedy show, and seemed to have a good time. He could hear their laughter though the door when there was a pause in the music he was listening to.

_"I'm holdin' on your rope,_

_Got me ten feet off the ground._

_And I'm hearin' what you say,_

_But I just can't make a sound."_

The fact that Mr Evans wanted him to come up with a solo as soon as possible just added to the stress. The only songs he could think off at the moment wouldn't fit in at all.

_"...That it's too late to apologize._

_It's too late._

_I said it's too late to apologize._

_It's too late._

_Too late…"_

As he lied there feeling sorry for himself he even contemplated on leaving Glee-club. He would still see Jack and John in the halls, but he wouldn't have to hang out with them hours on end watching them and actually feel the tension between them.

_"I need you like a heart needs a beat,_

_But it's nothin' new, yeah!_

_I loved you with a fire red,_

_Now it's turnin' blue."_

There was definitely something weird about the way those two behaved towards one another. It could seem like they tried to avoid contact, but at the same time, they had both kept a keen eye on the other.

That they seemed to have resolved their problems and actually had left together after rehearsal today, was also a problem for Ianto. If he had to live through the nightmare of seeing them hang out and maybe hook up again, he would surely walk away from the choir.

He knew perfectly well that his thoughts about all this didn't make sense. If John and Jack wanted to be together, it was none of his business. Especially since he wasn't interested in pursuing any of them. Ianto just wished he could have turned back time. If he'd known what would happen he would have acted differently towards them both.

After that infamous kiss John gave him on the neck a long time ago, Ianto pushed him away somewhat because he was afraid. Not only because it could ruin their friendship, but he also got scared about how his own body reacted to it. That he knew beforehand that he liked boys as well didn't make it easier, and given the chance, he'd chickened out. By being evasive and technically do nothing to clear up things, he'd ruined more than their friendship.

With Jack it was different. The guy was flirting with everybody, so Ianto never took it seriously, but maybe he should have. Maybe he should have dared to be a little more forthcoming and at least showed that he liked him.

It was futile to think about it now, and he couldn't really come up with any solution at the moment.

_"It's too late to apologize._

_It's too late._

_I said it's too late to apologize._

_It's too late._

_I said it's too late to apologize, yeah!_

_I said it's too late to apologize, yeah!_

_I'm holdin' on your rope,_

_Got me ten feet off the ground."_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Surprising conversations and revelations**

"We didn't have sex, did we?" John was blushing a little as he threw a quick peek at Jack. It wasn't that he didn't remember that night, but he didn't really know what to call what happened in his bed. "Noooo, No we didn't." Jack stared at him wide-eyed as he shook his head. "We, er, it was technically just some elaborate cuddling."

John sighed. "It's just… I don't really regret it, but it was kinda silly. I like you and I could… oh fuck." He wanted to tell Jack how he felt about Ianto, but it wasn't easy.

When he asked if Jack wanted to come over, he was afraid that the guy would get the wrong idea, but he felt that they needed to talk. The tension between them had been quite bothersome during the first two weeks of school. He knew it was his fault, but he had sensed that Jack had his own issues regarding this, so it was about time that they got it out in the open.

"I didn't want anyone to know, and I'm a little pissed that you told…" Jack cut him off. "I didn't. I did my best to tone it down, but Jo wasn't totally out, so she saw us in the living room." He threw his hands out. " Gwen is a bit nosy, so… I couldn't avoid it. Anyway, I don't regret anything either, oh well, maybe a little bit, but it was nice. I like you too, and we… It _was _mutual. We knew what we were doing but maybe we should have considered the consequences."

John smiled a little shyly. "It was nice, but, oh I, can I tell you a secret?" He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before he looked up again. Jack cocked his head and smiled humorlessly. "You sure it is a secret?" He sighed heavily before he continued. "I think I know."

They stared at each other for a few very long seconds. "It's about, huh, Ianto." Again John could feel that he was blushing, and it bothered him. "I kinda like him, like _like _him you know." He tried to meet Jack's eyes but had to look away. "I don't care if everybody on the planet knew what happened between us, but I didn't want him to know."

Jack was silent for a long time, and it became quite bothersome, but then he finally spoke. "I know. I knew that. You haven't been that subtle about it, but there is only one problem. Oh shit this is rough. I was thinking the same. I didn't want Ianto to know because I think I, okay, I like him too. He's… Fuck we're in a pickle."

That was kind of a new revelation. It wasn't that John hadn't had his suspicions, but Jack was the kind of guy who could get anybody. Why would he go for plain, boring Ianto. It was probably not nice to think about him that way, but the guy didn't stand out. It was only because John had learned to know him on a deeper level that he realized that Ianto was a catch.

"But he might not even be into guys." John slumped his head down while his brain was trying to come up with something more sensible to say. The barking sound of a loud scoff from Jack made him look up abruptly. The scoff turned into laughter as Jack got up from the couch and took a few steps out on the floor. "That, baby, is just a load of crap. He may like girls also, but I have a good gaydar. He is ripe for the pickin'. It's just a matter of who gets the first pick."

That sounded a little cynical, and John didn't like the way this conversation was going. "Fuck you. That's not... oh, you're making this sound so filthy." He tried to sound disgusted, but he secretly liked what Jack was saying. If it was true, if Ianto really was into guys he could have a chance.

As if Jack had read his thoughts, he looked straight at him. "Mind you. We probably blew that one. Literally. He knows about us, and I don't think he is the kind of guy who'd settle for leftovers."

Ianto's behavior towards the two of them lately, didn't really give much hope. "I know. So we're just two guys with the same agenda, and we screwed up majorly."

They looked at each other, and Jack let his hand run over his crotch. "Maybe we should just call it off and have some fun instead." He winked at John as he moved over to that couch again. John lifted his hand and showed Jack his palms. "Are you fucking kidding me? It's on. I don't care. If everything turns to shit, we can comfort each other, but I challenge you, Jack Harkness. I know Ianto better than you, and I'm prepared to play dirty."

Jack shook his head and smiled. "Okay." He slumped down on the couch again and reached his hand out. "It's on, but…" He cocked his head. "I know a song. We can do it together. It could possibly make it into regionals if we do it right."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was really cold. Dean was shivering as he did his best to stay awake. Not that it would be easy to fall asleep completely with the chill embedded in his spine, but he had had a little too much booze to be completely in control of his body. It had been okay sitting there by himself waiting for Castiel to find him until the battery died. Playing loud music during the wait was not a good idea.

What if he was stuck there till morning? What if he had to sit there and wait until he was sober and the sun crawled over the horizon? He couldn't quite remember what he'd told Cas, and he didn't know if the instructions were accurate enough.

He should have called Sam instead. He knew he should have, but the urge to hear Castiel's voice had won over sensibility.

Sam would have found him. His brother was very smart and could have managed to find this place faster than anyone else. Dean picked up his phone and contemplated on giving Sam a ring, but his father would possibly get involved, and that was the last thing Dean wanted.

He never wanted to fight with his dad, but he couldn't handle the fact that the man was rude towards Castiel. Unique _was_ a fruitcake. Although Dean accepted her for what she was, he kind of agreed with John Winchester on that. He wouldn't have a problem saying it to her face, but he didn't like to hear those derogatory remarks from someone who didn't know her, even if it was his own father.

Cas was different. Dean didn't really know if he even was gay, but along with most of the members of the choir he suspected that. Nobody had ever said it out loud, but a few comments had been made in secret. Regardless, Cas was not very effeminate, so his dad's stupid comment didn't fit.

A knock on the window startled him somewhat. Frozen to the bone, it was almost painful to turn his head, but the sight in front of him almost thawed him out in an instant. Castiel stared at him through the glass, and gestured for him to unlock the door.

"Are you alright?" Castiel asked as soon as Dean managed to get his fingers to obey him enough to open the door. "I'm fine. A little cold, but perfectly, almost, huh, shit." As he tried to get out of the car he stumbled in his own feet and had to grab the door, but it didn't prevent him from buckling under his own weight and sink to his knees.

Castiel grabbed him and helped him to his feet again. "I see. You're perfectly fine. I guess I'll just get you a blanket so you can sleep it off." The guy chuckled a little as he manouvered Dean over to lean on the hood of the car. "Seriously! What were you thinking?" The humor had suddenly vanished from Castiel's voice. "Do you know how cold it is? You could have frozen to death."

It wasn't that bad. Dean was confident that he would have survived a night out in this temperature. "Pfft. I've had worse experiences in my life. This is like a walk on the beach."

Cas took a step back as he shook his head. "So what am I doing here?" He rubbed his forehead. "I thought you needed help, but obviously you're fine." He started to walk towards his car. "I can take you home if you like, but I'm not playing games."

He sounded so serious that Dean got a little taken aback. "No, no, no I don't want to go home." He didn't really know what he wanted, but he definitely didn't want Cas to take him home and leave. "I'm sorry. I am cold, and I don't want to be here. Pease help me."

Castiel stopped and look at him. "I will help you. I'll take you home, and that's the end of it. I don't know what more you want from me." He came over again and grabbed Dean's arm. "Come on. I have to get back before they discover that I left."

Dean wrapped his arm over Castiel's shoulder and walked with him towards the car. "I want… I want…" He stopped abruptly and turned to face Cas. "I just needed a friend. You are my friend, right?"

Cas cocked his head to the side and stared at him for the longest time. Dean didn't move or say anything. He was afraid that a wrong comment would result in him spending the night in the cold Impala. That would not be very pleasant even if Castiel provided him with a blanket.

He did not expect what happened next. Castiel grabbed him and pulled him into an embrace. "You are so fucking stupid that you'd deserve to spend the night in your car." Cas whispered as his hand ran up and down Dean's back. For a split second Dean felt completely sober. That the guy cursed was quite unexpected as well, and in any other setting Dean would have commented on it. For the time being he was so totally content with the situation that he almost held his breath in hopes that it wouldn't end.

"Why did you get so drunk? What happened that made you take off like this and drown yourself in alcohol?" Castiel was still whispering. His hand had come to rest at the small of Dean's back. Dean drew his breath heavily and was about to reply when his phone rang. He nodded towards Castiel's shoulder. "Five I think." Cas pulled back a little to look at him. "What?"

The phone kept ringing, and Dean didn't do anything about it. "Are you not going to answer that?" The sound was quite annoying, but Dean shook his head. "Nope. It's the fifth time he's calling, and I know what he's going to say."

Castiel shook his head and nodded towards the sound of the phone. "Nothing good will come of this. You should answer. He might be worried. I'll take you home, Dean. Come on."

Dean didn't think that his dad worried so much. The guy was probably just angry and disappointed. What Castiel said still made sense. What else was there to do? The phone had stopped ringing, and Dean picked it up to look at it. "Yes. Five missed calls. I was correct."

Cas didn't look impressed with his counting skills, but he did smile a little. "Come on." He repeated as he pulled on Dean's sleeve. "I have to get back home as well."

They drove in silence. Castiel turned the heat on in the car but it didn't help much. The drive was too short to thaw Dean out completely. "Er, will you, er, can you walk me to the door?" Cas parked close to the building, and it was only a couple of feet to walk to the stairs leading to the front door. "Sure." Cas cut the engine and got out before he rounded the car to help Dean.

He could have made that walk all by himself even if he was quite drunk, but he pretended to be a little more unsteady than he really was and leaned heavily on Castiel's shoulder. When they seconds later stood on the stoop, Dean wrapped his arms around Cas and gave him a hug. "Thank you. You are a good friend."

It was supposed to be a quick embrace but Cas held on for a little while before he pulled his head back. "Yeah. A good friend. That's me." He cocked his head and squeezed his eyes shut for a second. Then he leaned back in and gave Dean a kiss on the cheek before he let go. After that he ran down the stairs and jumped into the car. Dean put his hand on the spot where he'd been kissed, and didn't manage to compose himself before the red taillights of Castiel's car was just two small dots in the distance.


	25. You think you know him so well

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to post this next chapter, but I was actually contemplating on abandoning the whoie story. That will not happen; I'm not a giver-upper. It will still be a few more chapters, but I'm a bit lost, and it would be nice to get some ideas on how to not bore myself to death. I know it's not what you want to hear if you plan on reading this story, but it is in the Glee-spirit. The lack of real drama, and no nudity whatsoever. (almost not) I really care about my characters, but the songs they sing are really the only thing in this story that excites me. I listen to the songs as I write, and I hope you will listen to them as you read. Sorry guys, sorry.**

* * *

A sort of summary of the chapter: They pick one more song for regionals, but the group number is still pending. Ianto feels targetted, and he hopes that nobody notices. Not so. Pretty much everybody is aware of what's going on. They have to pick roommates for at the motel they have to stay at, and that causes a small drama.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter:  
I know him so well - from 'Chess' - M/L: Ulvaeus, Andersson, Rice**

**Fly/I believe I can fly - Glee cast 2012 - Nicki Minaj feat Rihanna/R. Kelly**

* * *

Gwen didn't know what Ianto had been up to all weekend, but he had definitely not been able to dig up a solo. That was apparently the case for Castiel and Dean also, but all three of them got another couple of days.

It wasn't that anybody couldn't suggest a song, but with the girls big number Mr Evans wanted the boys to step up.

When Jack and John came running out on stage and asked to perform a duet they had rehearsed, the director emitted a sigh. "Alright. I should have known." He shook his head and chuckled silently. Everybody knew what he was thinking. Jack was unable to let anybody else have the spotlight.

The melody was strangely familiar, but Gwen could not remember what it was. When Jack started singing she realized that she even knew the lyrics somewhat, but she was still not capable of brushing the dust off the memory of where she knew it from.

"_Nothing is so good it lasts eternally_

_Perfect situations must go wrong_

_But this has never yet prevented me_

_Wanting far too much for far too long…"_

It had to be from a musical. The sound was very much up that alley, and Gwen twisted her brain to try to remember which one. When John joined in and they started singing together, it triggered something in her mind.

"_Wasn't it good? (Oh so good.)_

_Wasn't he fine? (Oh so fine.)_

_Isn't it madness_

_He can't be mine?"_

It was from Chess, and it was originally sung by two girls. That was probably the reason she didn't recognize it immediately.

"_But in the end he needs_

_A little bit more than me -_

_More security."_

Jack continued and John followed up with the next few lines.

"_He needs his fantasy_

_And freedom…"_

It was a bold choice, but it sounded great. The two boys didn't so much as throw a glance at each other as they sang. It could almost look like they tried to avoid it on purpose, as if they were in some kind of competition.

It took a few more seconds before she noticed that they were both very much focused on somebody else in the room. She turned to look at Ianto, and it was quite clear that he'd noticed this as well. The stares he got from John and Jack as they were singing seemed to bother him somewhat, and he tried to scoot backwards to hide behind a couple of the other choir members.

"_Looking back I could_

_Have played it_

_Differently_

_Learned about the man_

_Before I fell…"_

The way Jack and John weaved the lyrics together, and sang the different lines in perfect harmony didn't really fit the expression on their faces when they finally looked at each other for a split second. This was definitely a competition, and the grand prize seemed to be Ianto.

It made absolutely no sense for Gwen. She started to think through what had happened with her cousin the last couple of months, but couldn't come up with any good explanation for Jack and John's behavior.

"_Wasn't it good? (Oh so good.)_

_Wasn't he fine? (Oh so fine.)_

_Isn't it madness_

_He won't be mine?_

_Didn't I know_

_How it would go?_

_If I knew from the start_

_Why am I falling apart?_

_He won't be mine?_

Did they both have a crush on Ianto, or was this just fun and games? Gwen moved slowly over to get closer to her cousin, but he kept moving backwards and out of reach. It didn't seem like any of the others had noticed what went on, and if she wanted to keep it that way she had to give up getting to him at this very second.

"_It took time to understand him…"_

For a moment there it looked like John was getting a little emotional as he sang his line, but when he turned to look at Jack as they finished the song, it was with a smug little smile on his face.

"_I know him so well"_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

That was the most embarrassing moment of his life. Ianto hoped that nobody else had noticed how John and Jack kept looking at him through the whole performance.

As the rest of the choir cheered for the two boys, Ianto did his best to hide in the background. Mr Evans was obviously quite impressed, and he kept nodding as he jumped up on the stage. "That was really good. How did you...? It's a little controversial, but I think this song could work. How did you think of this?"

"Well, we…" John was about to answer when Jack cut him off. "I heard it sung by two guys once before, and I liked it. When I suggested it for John, he was very excited." The microphone was still on so Ianto could hear the guy loud and clear. He scoffed to himself. It was just like Jack to make sure he got the credit.

There was only one positive thing about this, except for the fact that they did an excellent performance. If this song got picked, Ianto didn't have to dig up a solo for himself. He could concentrate on the group number, and wouldn't have to stand there like an idiot trying to outsing Jack or Dean or anyone else.

It wasn't like he didn't think he was good enough for a solo, but he was so not in the mood to do it at the moment. He'd spent the whole weekend cooped up in his room really trying to come up with something, but it hadn't happened.

A tap on his shoulder made him turn around. Gwen was standing there with a puzzled expression on her face, and Ianto knew why. She had obviously noticed what happened on stage, and now she was curious about it.

"They sang it for you." She got up on her toes and whispered into his ear. "Why?" Ianto pulled away and shook his head. "Nooo." He tried tried to look surprised and hoped it worked. "Why would you think that? I don't know anything about it anyway."

She rolled her eyes and threw a quick peek up on stage. "But you have to admit that it was a bit strange the way they looked at you through the whole song, right?" Ianto didn't know if it was worth lying, but gave it a shot. "I didn't notice. Did they really? Well. You'd have to ask them."

That was technically the last thing he wanted Gwen to do, and he felt that he had to make her stop. If Gwen had anymore awkward questions for him, he wanted to deal with them in another place than this. She rolled her eyes again. "Don't even try. I know you noticed. What is..." When Ianto lifted a finger to his lips, she managed to shut up mid sentence. Then she nodded a couple of times. "Okay. Later then, right?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean was kind of relieved when John and Jack was done with the song. If anyone bothered to ask him, he would easily vote for that one for the competition. Not only because they did an excellent job of it, but it would give him a leeway. With his dad in town, he didn't have time to work on a solo for himself, and even if he would have wanted to be one of the leads at regionals, he knew he couldn't compete with Jack right now. John did a very good job up there, but there was no doubt about it; Jack was the star this time as well.

He wondered what Ianto was thinking about it, and he did look for the guy, but he was hiding in the back. Maybe he didn't get it. Maybe he didn't notice the looks John and Jack sent him as they performed.

When Dean and Unique walked with Jack from English class less than two hours ago, he had excitedly told them what was going to happen in the auditorium. He didn't say what song they were going to perform, but he shared willingly that both he and John had a crush on Ianto and they were going to show that. John was walking behind them, and he tried to get Jack to tone it down. Jack seemed to understand, and he urged Dean and Unique to keep quiet about it.

"You think you have a chance?" Unique seemed to share Dean's opinion on this. He could not understand why the two of thought that singing a song together for Ianto would work for any of them. "So maybe he is a little dodgy, but come on…" Unique threw a peek behind her. John had obviously given up on trying to stop this particular conversation, and he just huffed audibly.

"Maybe it won't, but at least he'll know that we…" Jack threw his hands out. "I don't know. The song is good though, and it could possibly make it into the competition."

Both Unique and Dean had agreed that a collaboration between Jack and John could be great, but they still didn't understand how it would make any difference for Ianto.

After hearing it, Dean had totally changed his view. If Ianto was carrying a torch for any of those two, he had to be moved by the song, even if the guy didn't understood that they were singing it to him,

Dean looked for Unique, and wondered if she had changed her opinion as well. She was sitting next to Castiel, so Dean didn't want to approach her, but she looked rather touched.

He hadn't talked to Cas since they parted on the stoop of Dean's building. He could almost still feel the touch of the guy's lips, and wished that he could be bold enough to walk up to him casually, but he wouldn't know what to say.

Mr Evans urged everybody to come on stage to rehearse yet another group number. The song from Hair hadn't worked out so good, and without any really good suggestions from the class, they had a pile of songs to go through this week.

Dean watched as Ianto positioned himself as far away from Jack and John as he could. Maybe the song didn't work, or maybe the guy was just too intimidated about it at the moment. Dean wasn't going to say anything, but he was a little curious.

When Unique came straight towards him with Cas in tow, Dean got a little wary, but she placed herself next to Dean with Castiel on the other side. Then she leaned over and whispered: "If Ianto didn't get that, he's a damn fool."

Dean chuckled a little. "Yeah. I agree." He smiled before he started to look through the sheet music they'd been given. "You know…" Unique leaned in again. "I think I'm going to go stand with the girls." She gave Dean a wink before she stepped away. Nobody came to fill her spot, and when Mr Evans asked them to scoot together Dean found himself standing right next to Castiel.

They didn't exchange one single word on that stage, but Dean dared to send him a quick smile, and was happy to get one back.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gwen was a little disappointed when she realized that Ianto had nothing to share about what happened during John and Jack's song. As soon as they were in the car she'd demanded an explanation. Her cousin had admitted that he felt like a target, but he swore to her that he didn't know why.

When she suggested that the two of them both had a crush on Ianto, he'd just laughed it away. "They hooked up with each other, why would they do that if…" Gwen stared at him. Was it possible that Ianto was that ignorant? "Seriously! They were just comforting each other. We don't even know if they really hooked up."

She was pretty sure they did, but if they both had pursued Ianto without getting any reciprocation from him, they could have decided to give it up. That they later regretted the whole thing became apparent, the way they had behaved towards one another after New Year's eve.

"So are you intrigued by it? Do you, er, have you ever thought about…" She was normally quite direct, and wouldn't hesitate asking uncomfortable questions, but she was a little worried about the answer. "Could you see yourself being with a boy?"

It wasn't that she wouldn't have embraced it wholeheartedly if Ianto had had those thoughts, but if so, it meant that she'd read him wrong. That would be a little embarrassing. She knew him better than anyone, and she had a well developed gaydar. A simple 'no' would have sufficed if Ianto wanted to get her off his back, but he blushed and started stuttering. "I, er, no, well. Not really." He huffed. "Hasn't everybody? I mean… Haven't you… you know, had thoughts about being with a girl?"

This was so not about her, but she had to admit that it had crossed her mind. When she excitedly tried to force Ianto to tell her more, he'd clamped up completely and refused to say another word.

Curious about what would happen when they met John and Jack again, she could hardly wait for choir practice the next day, but she got no time to find out anything because Sam started talking as soon as they were seated in the choir room. The director had notified them all to gather there for a meeting before rehearsal. Gwen knew what it was all about because Mr Evans had sought her up earlier that day, and she was happy to say yes to the suggestion he presented for her.

"We have fifteen students and three chaperones. I was going to let you all choose your roommates, but I had to take part of the matter into my own hands." He was standing in front of the class. He had told them when and how they were going to get to regionals, and which motel they were going to stay in.

"Gwen and Unique are going to share with Mrs Lopez." He nodded towards the two. "We have already discussed this, and all three of them have agreed to that." Gwen wasn't too thrilled about bunking with a teacher, but she knew that Unique's special situation could have ended up with nobody wanting to share with her. She liked Unique, and she didn't care if there was a dick hiding under the girly clothes.

"The rest of the girls will have to share a room." Sam smiled to them. "It can be a bit cramped with four people, but it's only for one night." Jo, Jane, Madison and Charlie didn't seem to mind. "We only have one double room, and it might sound a little unfair for you, but Mr Schuester and I will take that."

He started to hand out some paperwork as he continued talking. "You boys can find out between you who you want to bunk with. Three in each room. If you can't agree, I'll have the final word." He was done with his round and held up a copy of the paper he'd handed out. "These are the rules for the competition. I have also included my own set of demands."

Gwen chuckled a little when she saw the handwritten note in red ink on the front of the paper. "EVERYBODY WILL STAY TILL MORNING, AND WE WILL ALL LEAVE TOGETHER." She knew what Mr Evans was referring to, and she was blushing a little. Their infamous departure from sectionals, was initially her idea.

The boys started chatting loudly trying to agree on how to share the rooms. Gwen was curious about who Ianto was going to end up with, but got thrown off when Unique sat down next to her. "Hello roomie. We're going to have so much fun."

Gwen scoffed. "Yeah right. Mrs Lopez is going to be so thrilled about that." It was just one night, and it wasn't like it was a big problem having a teacher amongst them. Unique chuckled. "Oh don't worry. Santana Lopez knows how to party."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto went straight over to Dean and asked if they could share a room. The guy looked a little surprised, but didn't turn him down. "Sure. Why not." He shrugged a little and threw a peek at his brother. Ianto had been quite sure that the two Winchesters would team up, so by staying in the same room as them he could avoid both John and Jack.

He felt that he was in a little bit of a dilemma, because he didn't want to bunk with any of them, but at the same time he didn't want the two boys to end up in a room together either. Not that he worried so much about that happening. Jack and John had barely talked to each other the last few weeks. Things could have changed, but even if they sang together the other day they still didn't seem to want to hang out much.

There was nothing he could do about it regardless, so he decided to try to not let it bother him. That he hadn't spent much time with the Winchester brothers before wasn't a problem. They were only going to sleep in the same room, and when the morning came, they were all going back home.

Mr Evans shuffled them out of the choir room and led the way to the auditorium. "We are going to try 'I believe I can fly'. You already have the sheet music. It's a really good choir version of the song."

Ianto didn't feel comfortable with that song. Everybody knew that the Glee choir from way back when had done this song before for regionals. At that point in time they had won, but doing it again was so 'yesterday's' news'.

Jane and Mason were going to be the lead singers, and Ianto knew that it wouldn't sit well with a couple of the other members. The whole thing was probably going to be a disaster regardless, knowing that they were trying to copy - according to rumors - the best Glee-choir McKinley had ever had.

As he walked over to find his position, Castiel grabbed his sleeve. "Hey. I heard that you have a spare bed. Can I take it?" At first, Ianto didn't know what he was talking about, but then he realized that it had to do with the accommodations for regionals. "Sorry. I'm with the Winchester brothers. We have no room."

Cas stared at him dumbfounded. "You didn't know? Sam is going to bunk with Kevin and Garth, and that leaves you guys with a spare bed." Ianto didn't know that. He also didn't know if Dean had promised that bed to anyone else, so he felt that he couldn't just say yes. "You'll have to ask Dean. It's fine with me, but…" Castiel cut him off. "Can you ask?"

Dean was standing at the front of the stage talking with John. Ianto was pretty sure that the two of them had the same conversation as he and Castiel, and he made a quick decision. "Sure. It'll be fine. He waved Cas off before he ran over to Dean. "Cas is staying in our room. I promised him already."

It could look like Dean was about to pass out for a second, but then he turned to John. "Sorry. Too late. The bed has obviously been taken."

Ianto received a crooked smile from John as he walked away, and he felt bad. John had been his best friend since they first met in Glee-club, but things had turned sour for no reason. That little kiss shouldn't have managed to destroy what they had. Ianto felt totally responsible for their fallout. He could have taken it in the stride and decided to deal with it then and there.

If it was true. If John had a crush on him - which Ianto found very weird - they could have dealt with it back then, and avoided the odd tension that was between them now.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Mason was not happy about having to sleep in the same room as John and Jack. Even if both of them had been rather evasive about it when asked, everybody had their theories on what happened that night after the party. Mason worried what could go down - or up for that matter - in that motel room.

It didn't look like John and Jack was too thrilled about the arrangement either, and all three of them were quietly negotiating with the rest of the boys.

Castiel didn't know what it would entail for him, but if they couldn't come to an agreement, Sam Evans would just pick their roommates at random.

Not that it mattered so much. He followed Unique's advice about being bold and daring, but if he didn't get to share with Dean it was okay. At least he'd tried, and he knew that Unique was proud of him. He'd told her about the kiss, and she was a little disappointed that it didn't lead to anything, but she agreed that it was a start.

"Okay guys." Mr Evans tried to get their attention. "I'll give you till after rehearsal, but then I have to hand in the sheet." He waved with a paper where he'd written down the sleeping arrangement. "It's not such a big deal, and if you guys decide to trade later, I just need to know about it. The motel requires a list, so we have to provide that."

Jane was ready to sing, and was patiently waiting for the boys to settle down. Cas could see that she was nervous, but it wasn't so strange; she was going to compete with the famous Rachel Berry.

"_I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive_

_I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise…"_

She started quite abruptly, and the rest of the choir wasn't quite prepared. It went rather well, and both Unique and Mason managed to jump in on the right spot.

"_If I can see it"_

"_Me, me, me against them_

_Me against enemies, me against friends_

_Then I can do it_

_Somehow they both seem to become one_

_A sea full of sharks and they all smell blood_

_If I just believe it_

_They start coming and I start rising_

_Must be surprising, I'm just surmising_

_There's nothing to it..."_

Ianto did a good job on his solo backed up by the rest of the choir, and when Unique joined him it could sound like they had rehearsed this together beforehand. Cas knew it wasn't so, but so far it was the best part of the song.

"_I win, thrive, soar, higher, higher, higher_

_More fire.."_

They were all a little more familiar with the lyrics on the other song in this mash-up, and with Jack and Jane leading on they soon picked up the slack from the first part.

"_I believe I can fly_

_Fly_

_I believe I can touch the sky."_

It didn't last so long. The rest of the song went totally awry, and Sam Evans stopped them before they were done. "That was horrible!" He rolled his eyes before he panned the crowd. "If we're going to do this, you guys have to focus."


	26. Anything goes

Regionals... They are all excited, but they know that it will be harder this time around. Without knowing how the other choirs performed, New Directions are doing their best. Jack makes a really bold move before the winners are declared, and even if the judges are unaware of it, the audience loves his performance.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter:**

**Backseat of a Greyhound bus - Sara Evans - M/L: Lindsey, Lindsey, Mayo, Verges**

**Marry you - Bruno Mars - M/L: Mars, Lawrence, Levine**

**Anything goes - from 'Anything goes - M/L: Cole Porter**

* * *

"_On the backseat of a Greyhound bus_

_Head hung down with the windows up_

_Staring at the rest of her life_

_She never thought this would be the place_

_Where she would find her saving grace_

_But she fell in love, she fell in love_

_On the backseat of a Greyhound bus…"_

Sam was sitting with Charlie on the bus that were taking them to regionals, and he was trying his best to sing along with her. He knew that his voice wasn't worth a damn, but not many of the other travelers new the lyrics of this particular song.

Dean was seated right behind them strumming his guitar, covering up Sam's shortcomings in the singing department. Ianto, sitting across the aisle with his own instrument, did his best follow, but he had never heard the song before either.

"_The moon was full, the stars were smilin'_

_God has a funny sense of timin'_

_The baby came on the interstate…"_

The rest of the crowd was just humming along, and didn't seem to care that one of the lead singers was less than adequate.

"_Somewhere between Jackson and Memphis_

_She finally found what she had been missin'_

_She cried and laughed while the red lights flashed_

_Sweet baby girl, she looked into the face of a new_

_The face of a brand new world…"_

Sam couldn't even begin to grasp how excited he was about being a part of this. Since he was technically a roadie for the band on this trip, Brad had offered him a seat in their van, but he'd much rather be on the bus with the choir.

It would probably have been a much more comfortable ride, because this was a dingy old school bus and didn't much resemble the real Greyhound they were singing about. It didn't matter.

Not everybody looked equally excited. Mason was sitting in the back of the bus with his sister. Madison tried to cheer him up, but he had made a big drama about the sleeping arrangements, causing Mr Evans to make a small adjustment. It wasn't such a big deal, but a couple of the other guys had teased him about it.

The rearrangements didn't have any consequences for Sam, but Dean had been a little disappointed. He had been excited about sharing with Cas; Sam could easily spot that, but after Mason's outcry, Jack and Castiel had to trade. The two of them had accepted the swap without making a fuss; Jack had actually looked like he'd just won the lottery.

Sam had to chuckle to himself as the thought about it. Ianto hadn't seemed to react to the exchange at all, and Sam wondered if it was because he didn't know that Jack had a crush on him, or if it was because he didn't care.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They barely got time to dump the luggage at the motel before they had to take off to the venue of the competition. Santana was excited. It was almost like being back to the 'old' days, when she was a member of New Directions herself.

She didn't know Gwen Cooper that well, but she seemed nice enough, so sharing a room with the girl wouldn't be a problem. Unique could be more than a handful, but Santana knew how to handle the trans-girl, and was sure that the three of them would manage fine together.

There had always been a lot of drama between the girls at school. Especially between those who were in the different arts programs. She remembered vividly the competition between the Cheerios and the Glee Club back in the days, and had been pleasantly surprised when she discovered that these petty quarrels had seized.

This year, it was the boys who created the most drama. Santana was kind of excited about it, but it was sometimes a problem in class.

When Jack came to her class, she soon discovered that he was a big flirt. He had actually tried to swoon her into upping his grades, but that did not fly with her. Turned out that his Spanish wasn't so bad, and there was no need for him to use his charms to get a decent grade.

He had later turned his attention to one of the other students, and although Ianto didn't seem to fall for it, it was quite interesting to observe. Santana had heard a few rumors about Jack, but wasn't quite sure what to believe. The one thing she was sure about was that he was a player, and that he was used to get what he wanted.

It was kind of weird being there as a chaperone. She had been on stage with some of the students back when she was a member of the choir herself, and now she was supposed to take care of them. It had to be a little strange for Sam Evans as well, but he mingled with them in the choir room on a regular basis, and was probably used to it by now.

There was only a few of the students that she didn't know much. Apart from Gwen, she also hadn't had the pleasure of being introduced to Dean Winchester. She had to admit that the guy was quite handsome, and she couldn't help throwing an extra peek at his ass when he walked by. Not that it meant anything; she was happily married, but having a nice view wasn't bad.

She didn't know John that well either, but she had heard about him and seen him in the halls back when he was a freshman. Hearing him sing this year, it surprised her that he never auditioned for New Directions before. As far as she could remember, the guy had been very popular, and that could of course be it. The members of Glee-club were considered as losers back then.

She had suspected that his popularity was mostly linked to the fact that he was rich, and that his multitude of friends were a quite shallow gang. This year, it seemed like he'd seen through that, and had made new friends in the choir.

Castiel was her favorite. In the beginning of last semester, she had been quite rough with him; pushing him harder than any of the others. She had felt bad about it, but he'd always met her requirements, and was by far her best student. His Spanish was practically flawless, and she was amazed by the fact that he wasn't from a bilingual family.

Growing up down south, Cas had learned Spanish from his classmates in elementary school and hadn't had any formal education in the language until he was fourteen. That he also read Italian and a little bit French was equally amazing.

She did suspect that his language skills didn't end there. She knew that he was trying to understand German and Greek as well. Santana had seen the pile of books he carried from the library on occasions.

His social skills weren't that great, and sometimes Santana felt sorry for him when the other students were chatting up a storm. He had always kept in the background, but lately it looked like he was coming out of his shell. She didn't want to draw any fast conclusions, but it could actually look like he wasn't coming out of his shell so much as coming out of the 'closet'. After spending time with them on the bus, she was pretty sure that Dean Winchester had something to do with this, and she hoped that Castiel wouldn't get his heart broken.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sharing a room with Mason and Castiel was going to be such a drag. John had contemplated on booking room for himself for the night; money was not an issue, but it turned out that the motel was fully booked. There was a hotel across the road, but it looked rather dodgy, and he wasn't sure it would be such a good idea to get a room there.

From what he'd seen during the short time they had at the motel, it looked like a place that would let out rooms by the hour rather than for a night.

It was still an option. If he could get a few of his friends to join, John wouldn't hesitate for a moment if it meant that they could party all night. He'd brought enough booze anyway.

Knowing that Ianto was going to sleep in the same room as Jack was not as problematic for John as he thought it would be. He was pretty sure that nothing was going to happen between the two of them that night. No matter how forceful Jack decided to be, Ianto wouldn't cave in with Dean in the same room.

The worst part of it all was that John didn't really feel that Ianto was his soulmate. He liked him plenty, and he wouldn't hesitate for a moment if Ianto came to his bed. He knew that he had a real crush on the guy, but he wasn't sure that this was it.

John would have wanted more time. He would have wanted to pursue this at his own pace, but Jack was way too competitive so he felt that he had to be in this battle just to prove himself.

'That damned kiss!' John couldn't stop beating himself up over it. He and Ianto could still have been best friends if it wasn't for that infamous kiss. He could have been the one Ianto confided in if he thought that maybe he was attracted to boys. John could have been there to soothe him and tell him that it was okay. They could have experimented together and been a 'couple' in their own minds before Jack even entered the scene.

'Hindsight is…' John didn't even bother to finish the line he had in his head. He just wanted to be able to hang out with Ianto like they did before, and if things happened it happened.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The venue was quite a bit bigger than the one they used for sectionals. The auditorium itself was about the same size, but the complex had a basketball court and big locker-rooms. From the court there was a short walk through a narrow corridor to a backstage area big enough for everybody to fit.

The McKinley students camped on the bleachers at one end of the big gym, waiting for their turn in the locker room.

The kids from Carmel were about ready for their sound check, while the Glee-choir from Indianapolis was still getting dressed. They had brought a dance-crew of twelve, so there was no room for New Directions in the locker rooms at the moment.

It wasn't a big problem; they still had plenty of time to get ready.

Gwen was pacing back and forth, nervously chewing her lip. Their choir was up last, and it bothered her greatly. She wished they could have just got it over with. She had always loved competing, and it was normally not in her nature to be so bothered about it.

When she first joined Glee-club, it was just to have something to do outside of the curriculum. She didn't even know that there was going to be any competitions. She thought they would rehearse and then perform in front of the students from their own school.

For sectionals, she hadn't really believed that they could win, so she had been quite laidback about it. This time, it was different. She really wanted to win, and knowing that their competitors probably were better that the ones at sectionals, Gwen was in attack mode.

She knew that their first song - Salute - had to be performed flawlessly, and she really hoped that she was up for it. The will was strong, and Gwen was pretty sure that the rest of the girls felt the same, but one little slip-up could easily ruin it for the rest of the choir.

Jack and John's number could possibly save them from total humiliation regardless; the boys - especially Jack - did the song quite professionally, and unless something really bad happened, that song was a sure winner.

Their group number didn't sit right on their last rehearsal before they took off, but Mr Evans wasn't swayed by it. "It's fun. It's upbeat. You all know the few dance-steps you have to do. Dress-rehearsals are supposed to go sour." Gwen wasn't convinced by his words, but she decided to try to see it that way. That this was also a song that the 'famous' New Directions from _way back when_ had performed on one occasion didn't help, but at least it wasn't for a competition.

The kids from Indiana came trickling out of the locker-rooms waving over to New Directions to alert them. Gwen gathered her stuff and together with the rest of the girls, she went inside to change for their first number.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The way it was set up this time, they were not able to see the other choirs' performances. They could partially hear them, but it was impossible to make out if they did a good job.

Sending Sam Winchester out there to scout was a bad idea. He was in awe when he peeked in after Vocal Adrenaline's first song, and was totally unable to say whether they were better than New Directions.

Santana, Sam Evans and Principal Schuester were sitting with the other teachers on the front row, and couldn't easily sneak out to relay their take on the matter, so the students from McKinley had no idea what to expect.

Jack was totally at ease, and he did his best to calm down his classmates. "It's better this way. We can pretend that it's not a competition." He peeked over at the students from Indiana. Jack couldn't remember the name of the choir, but didn't really care. The more important thing was that they seemed to be way more nervous than his own group.

The next time the younger Winchester came through the door, they could all hear the applause from the audience. It was massive, and after a few seconds, Jack could hear the steady clapping sound that told him that the crowd wanted to hear more from Vocal Adrenaline. It was a bummer, but not unexpected. They had heard that this choir was very good.

The door slammed shut and the sound got muffled somewhat before a young girl came through it to wave the next group onto the stage.

As the guys from Indianapolis trickled out of there, everybody could hear the emcee introduce the 'Hoosierdaddies'. Jack nodded to himself. No wonder he couldn't remember the name, it was too lame.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The 'Salute' song went so well that Jo almost passed out as she scooted back with the rest of the choir to make room for John and Jack. The audience was applauding wildly and especially a group of girl in the back made quite a bit of noise whooping and whistling. So much so that the emcee had to ask them to shut up.

She was happy that she only had to hum a little on their next song because she was pretty sure that she would be totally unable to sing as much as a line for the next few minutes.

John looked a little nervous, but as Jack patted his back and gave him an encouraging smile, he seemed to find his footing.

Jo focused on Jack as she did her best to calm down. She knew perfectly well that he was a tad more into boys than she wanted to know, but she couldn't help herself crushing a little bit on him. He was extremely handsome, and he was also very supportive and helpful.

Even if he had been straight, he was completely out of her league regardless, so she knew that for her he could only be eye-candy.

It was fine really. Jo wasn't into those kind of guys. Jack was a bit full of himself, and he wasn't shy about pointing out that he had been singing for a living. That it was for a short period of time didn't matter. The guy had managed to make a living for a brief moment in New York relying on his own voice.

The two boys did great. John did his best performance ever the way he weaved his lyrics into Jack's.

As they approached the end of the song, Jo noticed that both John and Jack stared at Ianto. She didn't understand why - Ianto wasn't supposed to participate in this song - but she decided to take it in the stride. It didn't really have anything to do with her.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The whole audience knew. Ianto wasn't stupid. He saw the looks Jack and John gave him at the end of the song, and he knew that everybody in the audience would think that this song was about him.

He knew for sure that it was, and even if he didn't want the world to know, he played along. With a courage he didn't even know he possessed, Ianto took a couple of steps forward.

"_It took time to understand him…"_

John looked a little frightened as he delivered the lines staring straight at Ianto moving towards him, but he composed himself enough to join Jack on the last line.

"_I know him so well."_

Ianto grabbed both of their sleeves and pulled them towards him before he pushed them away and turned around to walk away.

With his back turned to the audience, he could hear their response. It was like an explosion. Ianto didn't know if he was partially responsible; Jack and John had done a marvelous performance, but he hoped that what he'd done had made an impact on the judges.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean didn't even have time to cherish the moment. Ianto's courage had exceeded all expectations, but Dean had to get ready for their next song.

In his white button-down and the black tie and pants he stepped up towards the audience. He'd thought for sure that he'd forgotten the chords, but as he strummed the guitar, he knew what he was supposed to do.

"_It's a beautiful night_

_we're looking for something dumb to do…"_

All the girls had ran out to put on those white, long skirts. They were all wearing white tops, and even if it was t-shirts, they still all looked like brides as they came running out again.

"_Hey baby. I think I wanna marry you."_

Mason stepped up next to him and sang the next few lines , and then Jane sang her part.

"_Well, I know this little chapel_

_on the boulevard_

_We can go…"_

Kevin grabbed her hands and twirled her around.

"_No one will know…_

_oh come on, girl."_

Dean didn't feel quite comfortable up front until the rest of the guys in the choir joined him.

"_Don't say no no no no no_

_just say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…"_

He stepped back. He was only supposed to start the song, and now he could hide in the background with the band. He didn't even dare to look at the other members; he was shaking a little after having to be center of attention for a moment.

Unique and Gwen danced around him as they sang. It was part of the plan, but Dean didn't feel very comfortable about it.

"_If you wake up and you wanna break up._

_that's cool…"_

As everybody in the choir stepped up to do their lines, and then grabbed onto someone of the opposite sex to dance with, Dean was happy that he had the guitar in his hands. He wouldn't have wanted to dance regardless, but if he'd had to, there was only one person on this stage that he'd consider as a partner.

Castiel was dancing along with Gwen and the two of them stopped short for a moment.

"_Who cares baby? I think I want to marry you."_

Garth pushed them aside to deliver his line before the whole choir sang the last few lines of the song together. Dean decided to stay with the band. The judges couldn't possibly hold it against him.

"_I think I wanna marry you…"_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It wasn't how he'd expected to spend his seventeenth birthday, but Castiel was happy standing scrunched together with the rest of the choir backstage. Gwen's arm was wrapped firmly around his waist, and even if he would have wanted to feel someone else's hand on his hip, it was quite alright.

Dean was standing a bit away, fraternizing with the band. He tried to look unfaced, but Cas knew him well enough to notice the nervous glances he threw over at the other two choirs.

The only feedback they had gotten from their director was a subtle thumbs-up as they received the cheers from the audience after the last song. Castiel was far from convinced by it. Mrs Lopez was applauding, but she rolled her eyes as she leaned over to whisper something into Mr Schuester's ear. He, on the other hand, was all smiles, but that didn't reveal much. The guy had smiled through their whole performance, so it could be that his face was just stuck that way.

Castiel had plenty of time to assess their chaperones; he was basically a background singer for this competition, and he knew that he did his own part perfectly. He was a little embarrassed about his thoughts about his own performance, but he knew for sure that if they didn't win, it wasn't his fault.

The emcee took his time. He obviously needed to drag it out to give the judges time, but the lame jokes and the boring stories he spewed out was starting to get bothersome.

They should have planned for it in a better way. They could have arranged for a band to play or someone to sing while they were waiting for the verdict, but instead they had to listen to this guy throwing humorless comments to the audience.

Keeping a keen eye on Dean, Cas didn't miss the little commotion between Jack and Brad. The pianist shook his head vigorously as Jack tried to pull him towards the stage. Cas couldn't hear what Jack was saying, but it obviously worked.

Brad snuck out there and sat down at the piano, while Jack went over to one of the stagehands and pointed towards one of the microphones before he grabbed it.

Dean obviously knew what was going on, and he patted Jack's back before the guy followed Brad out on stage.

The first few chords was barely audible, but when the audience started to respond with some scattered clapping, Brad got a little more courageous.

"_In olden days, a glimpse of stocking_

_Was looked on as something shocking._

_But now, God knows,_

_Anything goes."_

Jack was leaning on the piano as he sung the first lines. Castiel couldn't see the emcee, but he could hear the guy start stuttering before he went totally quiet.

_"__If driving fast cars you like,_

_If low bars you like,_

_If old hymns you like,_

_If bare limbs you like,_

_If Mae West you like,_

_Or me undressed you like…"_

Jack walked towards the front of the stage and out of sight from Cas. He could only imagine what the emcee was thinking, but the crowd's response was easily heard.

"_When Rockefeller still can hoard enough money to let Max Gordon_

_Produce his shows,_

_Anything goes._

_The world has gone mad today_

_And good's bad today,_

_And black's white today,_

_And day's night today,_

_And that gent today_

_You gave a cent today…"_

The small burst of applause died down quickly, but it didn't take long before the audience started clapping in sync with the music. It was quite clear that they had been bored as well, and welcomed this impromptu performance.

"_When Sam Goldwyn can with great conviction_

_Instruct Anna Sten in diction,_

_Then Anna shows_

_Anything goes."_

Castiel tried to come loose from Gwen's grip so he could move to see Jack on stage, but she held on and followed him. "Suddenly I don't care if we win. This is just...awesome." She whispered quite loudly into his ear. "This is a memory I will cherish. Shutting that guy up is worth more than a first place."

"_So Missus R., with all her trimmings,_

_Can broadcast a bed from Simmons_

_'Cause Franklin knows_

_Anything goes."_


	27. Heroes, heroes everywhere

The winner is announced. John made plans to get rid of the chaperones for a while, and with a little help from Castiel, it all works out. Castiel gets a surprising birthday gift, but manage to take everybody's mind of it.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Son of a Preacher man - slightly different from Dusty Springfield's version - M/L: Hurley, Wilkins**

**We are the champions - Queen - M/L: Mercury**

* * *

"The runner-up is…" The emcee gestured for the drummer to make a drumroll. "...Vocal Adrenaline."

The moment Sam heard the words, he kind of knew the outcome. Even with a less than perfect ear, he was confident that _his_ choir was better than those 'hoosier-guys'. Unless the judges were bribed or blackmailed, it was inevitable; New Directions was going to win this. His friends up on stage didn't look half as convinced as he felt, but it didn't matter.

He could see that his namesake, Mr Evans, was just as certain. Mr Schuester and Mrs Lopez seemed to be holding their breaths, but they were both sporting clandestine smiles.

Without any knowledge on how the guys from Indiana had performed, Sam wasn't surprised that the guys from McKinley still looked rather pale and worried, but they had no reason to be. If they lost, it would be outrageous. The whole audience knew that, and Sam was pretty sure that someone would protest if that happened.

"The winner of this year's midwest regionals is…" Another drumroll followed. "...New Directions from McKinley high school in Lima, Ohio." The last few words drowned in the applause and cheers from the audience. There were a few boos as well, but they got totally overpowered by the supporters.

Everybody in the choir started to hug and kiss each other, and Sam didn't feel very well when Jack lifted Jo off the ground and planted a wet one on her lips. He knew that she was a bit taken by the guy, but he'd been quite confident that Jack was batting for the other team.

Sam didn't get much time to worry. Mr Evans pulled him up on stage along with Mrs Lopez and Mr Schuester as the head judge came in to hand out the trophy.

Scooting all the way to the back where Brad and the rest of the band were hanging, Sam watched as Unique stepped over to the microphone to give the prepared victory speech.

"We are thrilled and humbled…"

Sam didn't get more than that because a small hand eased its way into his. "We won." Jo whispered as she stood on her toes to lean her head on his shoulder. "This cause for a celebration."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"There's no way around this. You guys have led us here, and this is our way to say thanks." John was addressing their teachers as he pulled an envelope out of his pocket. They had all just emerged from the locker-rooms and were standing in the middle of the basketball court. "We wanted to give you a treat no matter what, but you really deserve this."

Dean had no idea what the guy was talking about, and looking at the other members of the choir he realized that he was not the only one who felt left out. Their three chaperones stared at John, and didn't seem to notice that the students looked a little dumbfounded.

"A table at the best restaurant in town, a full dinner and limitless drinks." John handed Sam Evans something that looked like a credit card. "All payed for by your humble slaves in New Directions."

Mr Evans looked at them suspiciously. "Er, what about you guys? We are supposed to chaperone. Is this some trick to get us out of the way?" He panned the crowd. John shook his head. "Nooo, no. I mean… What can we do? You'll be back sooner or later anyway. We'll get some pizza and hang out at the motel."

The teachers didn't look convinced, but then Castiel scooted forward and cocked his head. "It's true. You brought us here, and you deserve a treat. There is no hidden agenda in this. We just wanted to do something nice for you."

John seemed a little surprised as he threw a sideways glance at Cas, but then he composed himself and patted the guy's back. "Like he says. It's totally innocent." He cleared his throat. "Brad will take you there, but the guys in the band are driving home tonight so you have to get a cab back."

Looking at Castiel's big, blue, innocent eyes, their elders caved in. Dean smirked to himself. That Cas decided to step up and confirm John's words was an excellent move. The Pastor's son, a true Christian wouldn't lie. Dean was pretty sure that Cas knew just as little about this as anyone else in the choir; it was probable that John had taken this upon himself, so Castiel's move was intriguingly bold.

Over time, he'd learned that Cas wasn't as restrained and reserved as his upbringing could have made him. His looks and his everyday demeanor could easily fool you, but there were depths to this guy that didn't immediately meet the eye. Dean had been quite surprised on more than one occasion, and he was very interested in exploring Castiel's mind. Maybe not only his mind, but that was a little bit too scary to think of at the moment.

Brad showed up as if on cue, and waved their chaperones over. "If you want a ride, we have to leave now." Mr Schuester, Mr Evans and Mrs Lopez looked at each other for a brief moment, before the principal nodded. "Okay. Thank you all. We didn't mean to be ungrateful, but you know…" He threw his hands out. "We will check on you when we come back though. You better be there." With a bright smile he grabbed Santana's arm and walked towards the door where Brad was waiting. Sam Evans shrugged before he followed them. "Thank you all. We'll be back suddenly. No misbehavin' please."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Just as everybody was about to ask John about what was going on, he lifted his hands before he put a finger to his lips. Nodding towards the other end of the court where the guys from Indiana gathered their stuff, he started walking towards the door. "Come on, there will be plenty of time for explanation later."

The bus was standing outside and they all entered it quietly. During the short ride to the motel, one could hear some whispering, but John clammed up and refused to say anything until they were outside their sleeping quarters.

"I have discovered that Dean and Ianto's, and and, er, Jack's room is around the corner and quite sheltered from the rest of the complex." John was standing in the middle of the crowd. "It will be the best room for a party."

After a split second of silence, everybody started asking questions, but John just shook his head and waited until they had calmed down again. "Okay, I went all out and made sure that we could get some alone time." He chuckled a little. "I mean… without… chaperones." He paused for a moment. "If you don't want a party, that's okay, but we can do it. We have about three hours. Not much, I agree, but it is what it is." He opened his oversized suitcase and revealed that it contained only alcohol. "Gwen is carrying my clothes, but she didn't know why."

After a little bit of subtle cheering - they were standing right outside the reception and everybody seemed to be aware that they couldn't be too loud - Charlie took a step towards John. "We don't know when they will be back, and time travels fast when you're in good company. I'm pretty sure we will get caught."

John cocked his head and chuckled silently. "Oh please. I payed the Maitre'd at the restaurant a handsome amount of money to call me when they leave. I come prepared."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack felt as if he'd been run over by a freight train. It wasn't like he didn't want to party, but he didn't like the way John had handled this all by himself. So now John was the hero, and what they all had done to win this competition was just gone and forgotten.

Maybe it wasn't so, but Jack was tired of competing with the guy.

If this was some kind of maneuver to win Ianto over, Jack wasn't sure if he had the audacity needed to fight it. He had never been a giver-upper, but John's wealth and his connections made him the center of attention in so many ways.

Jack knew for sure that the song they did together had been part of the reason why the judges decided to make them winners, but now he felt that John was taking all the glory. It didn't sit well with him at all.

John was handing out drinks, and everybody was crowding around him. Everybody but… Ianto. Jack looked around. Ianto wasn't even in the room.

Charlie came towards him and handed him a plastic cup with whiskey. "Take this, and don't look so gloomy." She sat down next to him and grabbed Ianto's guitar. "I want to sing a song, but… I'm not too good with the guitar."

The way she strummed it told Jack that she was a little too modest. So maybe she was better with the fiddle, but she knew what she was doing. "When Cas stepped up and convinced them to take the offer, I kind of fell in love with the guy." She rolled her eyes. "Er, not like that. You know I'm not into guys."

He knew, but didn't say anything. "Help me out here. You can sing with me." She played a few chords, but Jack didn't know what song it was.

_"__Castiel was a preacher's son_

_And when his daddy would visit he'd come along…"_

She begged for him to sing along, but Jack was not familiar with this song. He didn't get a chance to say anything before Jo came running over. "Cool. Cas is the hero."

_"__...Out through the back yard we'd go walkin'_

_Then he'd look into my eyes_

_Lord knows, to my surprise."_

Jo gestured for the guys nearby to join in on the chorus.

_"__The only one who could ever reach me_

_Was the son of a preacher man_

_The only boy who could ever teach me…"_

Jack felt way more comfortable making Cas the hero than letting John get all the credit for this. He got up and pulled the guy over. "They are doing it for you, you know."

_"__Bein' good isn't always easy_

_No matter how hard I try_

_When he started sweet-talkin' to me_

_He'd come'n tell me 'Everything is all right'..."_

Dean came over with his guitar and joined Charlie. Jack tried to follow as the others sang along in the background.

_"__The only one who could ever reach me_

_Was the son of a preacher man_

_The only boy who could ever teach me_

_Was the son of a preacher man_

_Yes he was, he was, ooh, yes he was…"_

Dean tried to do an elaborate solo on his instrument, but it was an acoustic guitar, and didn't really give the guy's skills much justice. After that little interlude, Dean and Charlie were back in sync, and Jack noticed the subtle nod Dean sent her.

_"__How well I remember_

_The look that was in his eyes_

_Stealin' kisses from me on the sly…"_

They had both changed the key so that it would fit Dean's voice, and Jack was surprised by the passion he put into the performance.

_"__Takin' time to make time_

_Tellin' me that he's all mine_

_Learnin' from each other's knowin'_

_Lookin' to see how much we've grown and…"_

The look on Castiel's face was priceless. He stared directly at Dean and it was impossible for Jack to misinterpret the meaning behind that look. As he sang along with the others - in a slightly lower key than the beginning of the song - he kept a keen eye at the choirboy.

_"__The only one who could ever reach me_

_Was the son of a preacher man_

_The only boy who could ever teach me_

_Was the son of a preacher man_

_Yes he was, he was, oh yes he was…"_

Jack averted his gaze for a moment and threw a peek at Dean. The guy was looking straight at Castiel now, and he didn't turn away as he started singing the last chorus. Gwen and Unique did the background vocals while Dean and Charlie collaborated on the lines in between.

_"__(The only one who could ever reach me)_

_He was the sweet-talkin' son of a preacher man_

_(The only boy who could ever teach me)_

_Was the son of a preacher man…"_

Suddenly, Dean put his guitar down and walked over to Castiel. After a slight hesitation, he wrapped his arms around the boy and kissed him on the cheek. 'On the cheek!' Jack almost screamed it out, but managed to keep the words in his head.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Congratz, birthday boy." Dean pulled back and smiled before he gave Castiel a big bear hug. "The son of a Preacher man. This song was for you. Our Hero."

Castiel pulled back a little; he didn't want to get out of this grip, so he still held on to Dean with one hand. "Technically, my dad is not a preacher…" A hard rap on his shoulder made him stop. Gwen was standing there shaking her head. "Can't you just take it. Don't rationalize. This song was for you, but I didn't, er. Is it your birthday? Really?"

He hadn't told anyone, and couldn't understand how Dean could now. "Yeah, uh, It is, but this is not my party. Forget about it. John made this happen."

Suddenly everybody was crowding around him. John reached a hand out to give him a cup. "Birthday drink. Bottoms up!"

Cas really didn't want to unlace his fingers from Dean's shirt, so he had to reach over with his left hand to grab the drink. It wasn't like it was directly uncomfortable to stand so close to Dean, but the others were pushing to get to him, forcing the two of them even closer together.

"Kiss him." A subtle whisper from behind caught his ear. He wasn't sure who said it, and he didn't know who it was addressed to. He dared to look at Dean briefly, but the guy was busy downing a beer, and had probably not heard the words.

"Kiss him!" The voice was a little louder now, and he recognized that it was Unique's. He could feel that Dean got a little startled, and he wondered if he would pull away. "Kiss him for Christ's sake. Sorry Cas. Give him his first kiss for his birthday."

It was too weird. He couldn't get away if he wanted to because everybody was circling Dean and him, giving him no way to escape. Not that he wanted to escape, but the first kiss shouldn't be like this. He knew Dean quite well, and was pretty sure that the guy wouldn't cave in under the pressure, so he tried to calm down.

"Cas. Castiel. Look at me." Dean had grabbed his shoulders and he shook him gently. "I know you don't like beer that much, but a little taste of it won't hurt you." As the rest of his friends chanted 'Kiss him, kiss him', Dean leaned in and let their lips touch. For a moment Cas froze up, but then he forced himself to relax. Dean's tongue graced his lips, and Cas wanted to reciprocate, but didn't dare.

The wild cheers from some of his mates, made him perfectly aware that this was a public event, but when Dean's hand travelled down to rest on the small of his back, he almost forgot. The kiss was over, and he found himself staring into Dean's eyes.

The guy smiled brightly. "Happy birthday choirboy." He said it jokingly and everybody applauded and started greeting Cas. What they didn't notice - Cas was quite sure of that - was that Dean's hand had crawled up under the t-shirt, and that his fingers were caressing the bare skin on his back for a brief moment.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto had heard the cheers from the room, and he worried that someone would complain. He'd rushed over to the office to get some ice, and had no idea what the commotion was all about. As he stepped inside, he realized that they were all greeting Castiel, wishing him a happy birthday.

Dean looked like he was about to have a heart attack; his face was red and flustered and his breathing a little labored. The others didn't seem to care as they pushed passed him to give Castiel a hug.

The choirboy looked rather out of it as well, but that could be explained by the fact that he wasn't the center of attention very often.

Ianto put the ice bucket on the table and looked for a cup. "Here." John handed him a beer. "If you want something else, it's on the counter." He nodded towards the small kitchenette before he leaned over and picked up two ice cubes with his fingers and dumped them into his drink.

It was the first really friendly words from the guy since New Year's eve. Not that there had ever been any real hostility between them, but Ianto knew that they had both tried to avoid talking about anything that didn't have to do with school or Glee-Club.

"Thanks. Beer is fine. Thank you." He gave his friend a crooked smile, but John had already moved on, busy stuffing the rest of the beer into the tiny fridge.

"What's the point." Garth grabbed one out of John's hand. "They won't get much colder before this party is over. Mr 'Principal' and crew can walk in on us at any time." He was obviously determined to make the most of it, because he downed the beer in three big gulps before he reached out for another one.

Ianto chuckled a little and walked away from the scene. He maneuvered himself between Kevin and Sam Winchester to get closer to Castiel. "Hey Cas. Happy birthday. I didn't know. Cheers!" He lifted his drink as a patted Castiel's back. "Seventeen, uh. Only four years left before this is legal for you."

Cas still looked a little like a fish out of water, but he took a deep breath and smiled. "Yeah. Thanks. Cheers to you too. Cheers to everybody. We won. We should all congratulate each other." He threw a peek over at Dean before he turned back to Ianto. "A seventeenth birthday isn't even worth celebrating. It means nothing, but together we are the champions."

It was inevitable. It took about two second before everybody was singing.

_"__We are the champions, my friends_

_and we'll keep on fighting 'til the end_

_We are the champions_

_We are the champions_

_No time for losers_

_'__Cause we are the champions_

_of the world."_


	28. You got a friend in me

The kiss seems to be forgotten by everybody but Castiel. When Mr Schuester calls, they get a little wary, but it's all good. John and Ianto have a little talk, and the issues between them get resolved. It benefits Cas in a weird way.

**Songs in this chapter**

**All of me - John Legend - M/L: J. Legend, Toby Gad**

**The Sound of Silence - Simon &amp; Garfunkel - M/L: P. Simon**

It looked like the song had made most of the them forget what happened only minutes ago. Castiel sighed silently in relief. It wasn't that he was anywhere close to forget it himself, and he really didn't want to either, but he needed that little leeway to compose himself.

So maybe it wasn't a proper kiss. Their lips had barely touched, but for Cas, it was groundbreaking. If he could have done it again without all the onlookers, he could possibly have been more daring, but he didn't know if Dean even wanted that.

Pressure from the others had made him do it, but when it was over, Dean had moved away. Possibly because everybody else pushed in between them, but after the song, Cas noticed that Dean was sitting on one of the beds strumming his guitar as if nothing had happened.

Cas wanted to walk over and sit down next to him, but Jack and Gwen was there already, and it looked like the three of them were going to sing something.

Everything that had happened between them, indicated that Dean was interested, but now he looked so at ease that Cas suspected that the kiss didn't mean anything to him.

He felt a little lost and disturbed, but decided to try to not think about it too much. He threw another peek over at the treesome on the bed, and wished that he could have had the courage to walk over there. Dean's hand on his back should probably have given him the courage, but for some reason, it made it even more impossible. He still had time. If everything went according to John's plan, he had two more hours to man up, but he didn't think he would be able to do it.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_What would I do without your smart mouth_

_Drawing me in, and you kicking me out_

_You got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down_

_What's going on in that beautiful mind…."_

Gwen started singing as Dean did his best to follow. "I don't know this song very well, but it's nice." He had to let Gwen sing acapella while he tried to find the chords.

"_My head's underwater_

_But I'm breathing fine_

_You're crazy and I'm out of my mind_

The chorus was easier. He realized that he'd actually heard the song before, and even if he'd never played it, he managed.

"_'Cause all of me_

_Loves all of you_

_Love your curves and all your edges_

_All your perfect imperfections."_

_Give your all to me_

_I'll give my all to you…"_

Ianto joined in with his guitar. He obviously knew this song, and even if he wasn't as good as Dean, he did this one quite a bit better.

"_How many times do I have to tell you_

_Even when you're crying you're beautiful too_

_The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood_

_You're my downfall, you're my muse_

_My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues_

_I can't stop singing, it's ringing in my head for you."_

Dean gave up. Jack and Gwen sat on each side of him, and the two of them made some theatrical moves as they sang together, so Dean settled for background humming.

"_'Cause all of me_

_Loves all of you_

_Love your curves and all your edges_

_All your perfect imperfections_

_Give your all to me_

_I'll give my all to you..."_

Cas was standing in the middle of the room where Dean had left him. He still had a few greeters surrounding him, and it could seem like he was trying to avoid looking over at the bed. He didn't really manage. Dean wondered if he should just walk over there, but he had no idea what to say to him.

He put his guitar down and got up from the bed. He could at least go and get a drink, and then maybe casually bump into Cas on the way.

"'_Cause all of me_

_Loves all of you_

_Love your curves and all your edges_

_All your perfect imperfections…"_

He discovered that someone had got a hold of some ice cubes, and after serving himself from the whiskey bottle, he grabbed a few. It was quite natural to pass Cas on the way back to the bed, and after dropping the ice cubes one by one into the drink, he slipped the last one under the collar of Castiel's shirt.

"_Give your all to me_

_I'll give my all to you…"_

Gwen, Jack and Ianto were still singing as Cas jerked forward to try to avoid the cold ice sliding down his back. "What? What are you doing?" He pulled at the hem of the shirt so the half melted cube fell down on the floor, before he turned to see who was the culprit.

"_You're my end and my beginning_

_Even when I lose I'm winning…"_

Dean kicked the ice cube away. "Sorry. Just a joke. Just wanted you to chill." He smiled, but he knew it probably looked looked fake. What he said was so lame, and he worried that Cas would be annoyed.

"Me? I'm cool. You need to chill. You're too hot." It took a split second for Castiel's face to turn red. "Uh, I mean…" Cas started stuttering. "I mean… I don't… It's it's it's okay. It was just… I'm fine."

Before Dean got a chance to think of a comeback, John's phone rang. "Quiet. Everybody keep quiet." John grabbed the phone and looked at it as he waved with his other hand.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Will knew that this treat was an aversion. He knew that the kids in the choir wanted to get rid of the chaperones so that they could have a party. He was perfectly fine with that. He'd been a teenager himself, and after winning regionals, they deserved to celebrate it.

He had planned to to take Santana and Sam out for dinner anyway, so that the guys could have some alone time. That they had payed for the outing was a surprise, but it was a clever move.

The table wasn't quite ready when they arrived, so they had a drink in the bar before they got seated. Half way through the meal he decided to give the kids a scare, so he picked up his phone to call. It seemed like John Hart was the brain behind this, so he dialed his number.

John sounded a bit stressed as he answered. "Mr Hart. Are they leaving already?" It took a moment for Will to understand why the guy replied with those words, but then he realized that this was a more elaborate plan than he'd thought.

"No. They are not leaving yet. They are still on the main course." He didn't know if John would recognize his voice immediately, and he did try to not to sound like himself. "So why are you calling? I payed you to… Oh. Sorry. Thought it was somebody else. I'm so sorry."

Will could hear a guitar in the background, and then John's voice whispering: "Stop! It's Mr Schuester." The sound seized before John spoke with a normal voice. "We are just playing a few tunes, having pizza and soda and…"

It was kind of funny, but he knew he had to discourage them from drinking. "We will check on you, so you better be alert and sober when we get back."

There was a small pause before John replied. "Of course Sir, but a few of the others have gone to sleep already, and I'm sure they don't want you to wake them when you get back." He sighed audibly. "We are behaving fine. You will not get any complaints. I promise."

Santana and Sam stared at him over the plates, and was obviously curious about what was going on. "That's fine. We will be back in about two hours, but I bet you have a spy here somewhere who'll tell you when we leave."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

John put the phone down. Everybody was staring at him, and if anybody had dropped a pin, it would have been possible to hear it. "They know. They know that we are having a party." He drew his breath and tried to look gloomy. Practically all the eyes in front of him widened in fear before he decided to let them off the hook. "They are obviously fine with it as long as we don't get any complaints." He rolled his eyes. "And as long as we are all sober."

The crowd didn't react much. A few of them sighed in relief, but the rest of them were just standing in their spots staring at him. "When will they be back? Are they coming now?" Kevin was the only one who seemed able to talk at the moment.

"Two hours. We have two hours." John lifted his hand as a few of them started cheering. "But we have to make sure that we don't get any complaints." He lifted his drink. "We should make a toast to the coolest teachers in the world. Please do it without lifting the roof."

Those who had a drink, lifted it in silence. The rest of them just nodded and smiled.

When he realized who was calling, John thought that the whole plan would fall apart. Knowing that they could keep at it for another couple of hours as long as they didn't make too much noise was perfect.

Dean was strumming his guitar quietly. John recognized the song, and he kind of hoped that it would set the tune for the rest of the party. Talking and having fun could be done without too much ruckus.

"_Hello darkness, my old friend_

_I've come to talk with you again…"_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto wasn't into Simon and Garfunkel. He decided to leave it to Dean. Show tunes were okay. Pop music was something he'd gotten into through Gwen, but his heart was more in the heavy metal genre. That would not be an option at a 'quiet' party, but it didn't really matter. Hanging with his friends was fine, and the background music didn't bother him.

"I'm sorry." Ianto was picking a beer out of the fridge when John came up to him. "I'm sorry for everything. It's all my fault, and I'm ready to make amends." They were alone in the little kitchenette. That didn't really mean much, because it was all one room, but nobody else was nearby.

Ianto opened the beer before he turned around. "What do you mean? Did you do anything wrong?" He knew that the sound in his voice didn't fit the words. He did try to be casual about it, but he could hear it himself. The ironic tone was apparent.

"I like you. I like you a lot, but I'm not… I'm not in love with you. I just… I. I was just drunk and stupid. I shouldn't have kissed you." John bowed his head and sighed. "It was just a stupid competition. Jack likes you. Like, like's you, and I didn't want him to take you away from me."

Ianto had kind of figured that out for himself; it wasn't like he took Jack's advances seriously; the guy was all over pretty much everybody, but John's kiss shouldn't have anything to do with that. "Jack wasn't even in the picture back then. You crossed a line in our friendship, and I'm still trying to recover."

Garth came over to get a beer. He was starting to get a little too drunk, but Ianto didn't care. He let the guy stumble away before he again turned to John. "I have to admit that I was intrigued, but I worried. It was a friendship-killer." He remembered vividly how his body had reacted, but he wasn't going to reveal that.

"I know. And I'm sorry. I miss you dude." John practically heaved before he continued. "I have never had a friend like you. You didn't know where I came from, and you wanted to be friends with me… because we connected." He threw his hands out. "My 'old' friends liked me only because I was...am like rich."

Ianto could kind of understand why John felt so competitive about it all when Jack entered the scene. They had been friends, good friends, and that kiss would have meant nothing if they had talked about it back then, but then Jack happened.

It was his own fault. If he'd just had the courage to tell John how he felt about it sooner, they could have still been best friends when Jack came into the picture.

"But you hooked up with him. You… How? If he likes me, as you said, then why?" Ianto still felt that what happened between John and Jack was a betrayal. John knew that Jack was aiming for Ianto, but instead of being a friend and tell him about it, he'd just jumped into bed with the guy.

"That was… We didn't really do it. It was just..." The pain in John's face was absolutely genuine. "I'm a wannabe. I brag, but I do not really know. I just wanted to…. It had nothing to do with you." He sighed before he looked up. "Jack went with it even if he knew for sure that he really wanted you. He's not worth it Ianto."

Ianto knew perfectly well what John meant, and he technically agreed with him. There was just one small problem. Even if it would be a one night stand; even if he knew that Jack wasn't going to stay around and wait for him, Ianto knew wholeheartedly that he would give himself to Jack in a heartbeat. He knew that love was fleeting, and Jack was going to leave Lima in a few months, but if he could, he would.

"John. I should thank you. You woke me up, but I'm not into you that way." He shook his head. "What happened between you and Jack doesn't mean anything, right? Friends without benefits. Can you live with that?"

The arousal when John kissed his neck and cuddled up with him, could be easily explained. He realized that if it had been anybody else, the same thing could have happened. The fact that it was a boy had scared him, but it had also forced him to admit to himself that he wanted to be with someone of the same sex.

It wasn't like he didn't know before, but he had done his best to hide it from himself.

"I've missed you, and I hope we can put this behind us." John looked down and smiled shyly. "I wouldn't mind, but our friendship is worth more. I'll look out for you. I want you back." He chuckled a little. "I want you back as my best friend."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack saw John and Ianto standing by the counter chit-chatting amicably, and he did not like it. He knew he'd screwed up when he hooked up with John. It was nice, but none of them had been happy about the morning after.

It was such a stupid move, and whatever he did after that to get to Ianto, it was tainted by what happened that night. What was the point? In a few months time he'd leave Lima and McKinley behind, and he was not going to look back. Pursuing the guy to get into his pants was just selfish and absolutely… pointless.

Jack was surprised by his own thoughts. In the past, he would never had bothered to consider the consequences. If he could hook up with someone for his own pleasure, he was fine with that, but roping in Ianto was different.

He didn't like the feelings that emerged as he looked over at John and Ianto again. The guy was like sixteen, seventeen years old. He was not even close to ready for a committed relationship. Not that Jack was ready for that either, but it was kind of scary to realize that Ianto fit the profile perfectly.

It wouldn't be possible. It was just silly to even think about waiting for for him. Jack was bound for Broadway, and being held back by a teenager in Ohio was not an option. He'd meet other guys that would take his mind of it. In a couple of years time, Ianto would just be a fond memory.

He looked at the two guys again and decided to let it go. His heart struggled to accept it, but he couldn't do it to that boy. Ianto would probably get over it, but he didn't want to damage him. He sighed as he turned away. A tear was forming in the corner of his eye, and he knew that he was breaking his own heart. It was sad, but breaking Ianto's heart would be way worse.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gwen and Unique knew that they had to keep it together. They were sharing with Santana Lopez, and at the moment they weren't too thrilled about that. For Unique it wasn't a such a huge problem; she wasn't a big drinker, but Gwen make it quite clear that she was kind of pissed about the arrangement.

When Charlie offered to take her place - the girl was the only one in there who hadn't touched a drop of alcohol - Gwen practically dived over to the fridge and grabbed a beer. "It's a lame party, but the Welsh are coming."

It took a little more than two hours before Jo was totally out. The girl had a reputation for being a cheap date, but this was ridiculous. Jane and Madison decided to force her out of there. They both wanted to call it a night anyway, and they promised to take care of her.

Garth passed out a while ago, and it became a standing joke for the rest of the semester, how he'd not even been able to last as long as Jo.

Sam Winchester would have wanted to walk Jo to her room and stay with her, but the state she was in wouldn't make it very appropriate. Anyway, he had other fish to fry. Kevin wasn't a big drinker, and Sam was watching out for his buddy. He himself had an amazing high tolerance for alcohol, and with both Garth and Kevin pissed drunk, he knew it could be a difficult night. While Jane and Madison took Jo out of there, Sam and Kevin had to carry Garth to their room, but when he turned to go back, Kevin decided to stay put.

The whole party would be over soon anyway, so when Kevin suggested that Sam should call it a night as well, He was tempted. The only thing that made him walk back was his curiosity. Dean had kissed Cas, and Sam was not ready to let that slide. That everybody else seemed to have forgotten wasn't an issue. Sam felt that he needed to know what his brother was going to do next.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Is it okay if we switch?" Ianto looked at him puppy-eyed as he twisted his hands. Castiel wasn't quite sure about what he meant. He was hanging with Gwen and Charlie at the little table by the window, and wondered if Ianto wanted to sit with his cousin. "Like seats? You want to sit here?"

A burst of laughter came from the guy. "No. Hell no. Sorry girls. No, I meant if we could switch rooms. You can just stay here, and I'll bunk with John and Mason."

Castiel wasn't sure he wanted that. "Please. What does it matter? You get to stay here with Dean, and if you want to, we can tell everybody that we forced you." John looked at him with pleading eyes.

Gwen scoffed. "We're right here." She nodded towards Charlie. "I can tell the truth if I want to." She turned to Cas. "But I think you should. Who cares." She lifted her glass and managed to focus her eyes on his his for a moment. "I'm drunk, but I know that you like Dean, and you should definitely share a room with him." Her head bobbed a little before she took a sip.

"My bag is in the other room. This party is over in a minute… or five, so…" Cas had accepted that he wouldn't share a room with Dean, and after the kiss he wasn't even sure if he dared. Wanting it was one thing, getting it was totally different.

"I'll get it for you." Ianto gave him a big smile. "Your bag I mean. I consider it settled then, right?"

Castiel shrugged before he drew his breath heavily. "Whatever. As long as Mr Hart gets what he wants, the rest of us just have to comply."

John made a choking sound. "Me? You're blaming me? Okay, but that's just rude." With a smirk, he bent down and looked Castiel straight in the eyes. "I'm not gonna hold it against you choirboy. I know you're just making sure that everybody knows that you fought against this decision." He whispered as he patted Castiel's cheek gently. "You didn't want to sleep in this room, but we forced you. Everybody listen." He looked at Gwen and Charlie before he lowered his voice even more. "Cas was overpowered by the mean and conning John Hart, and will be sleeping in this room because he didn't want a fight."

Castile felt a little sick to his stomach. He didn't mean to be rude, but John hit the nail on its head, so it was quite embarrassing also. Before he got a chance to say anything, John cocked his head and smiled. "Sorry. Didn't mean to intimidate you. If you don't want to switch it's okay. I…" He sounded genuinely sorry.

They stared at each other for a moment as Ianto came up to them. Cas hadn't even noticed that he'd moved away. "This is your bag, right?" His backpack was dangling from Ianto's hand. He sighed and nodded. "Sure is."


	29. A movie maybe?

A/N: For the most part, it's a joy to find songs for this fic, although sometimes it can be hard to dig up something that fits. I have been listening to music that I don't normally pay much attention too, and it's fun. I hope that you guys will check out the tunes that you're less familiar with, and listen to them. On some occasions the music itself set the mood for that particular part of the story, and I try to keep it in my head as I write, just to make sure i stay in that mood.

* * *

The party is over and everybody retires to their rooms. Cas and Dean have a moment alone, but it doesn't lead to anything. A few of them are seriously hung over on the ride back the next morning. As they are parting to go home, Dean gets another chance to be alone with Cas, but that doesn't lead to much either.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**A few random songs**

**Thinking out loud - Ed Sheeran - M/L: Ed Sheeran, Amy Wadge**

**Pigs on the wing Part 1 and 2 - Pink Floyd - M/L: Roger Waters**

* * *

Only a handful of people was left in the room when John got the call. The conversation was short, and as he listened to the caller he panned the room and nodded. It was their cue. Charlie and Unique had volunteered to meet up with the teachers when they arrived and try to make sure that they wouldn't check in on anyone. Sam Winchester held his liquor rather well, so he too would be in the welcoming party.

The three of them took off immediately and without a question. They all kind of knew that the party was over in a few anyway, so there was no need to postpone it.

"Come on. Help out. This party is over. We have about seven minutes." As soon as he'd hung up, John practically flew around to collect all the empty cans and bottles.

"They won't come in here. Just tell them that we are sleeping. We'll turn off the light and pretend." Dean was lying on the bed with his hand under his neck not making any attempt to help out. "Y'all need to get out of here before they come. Just leave it. We can fix it when the coast is clear again."

John panned the room. It didn't look too bad, and what Dean said made a lot of sense. "He's right. We are running out of time, and I really don't want to get caught." That the room reeked of alcohol was an issue they couldn't do anything about regardless, so it was better to try to stop any of the teachers from setting foot in there.

"And take her." Dean nodded towards Gwen. She had fallen asleep at the table with her head resting on her hands. "Oh, shit." John rolled his eyes towards Ianto. "What he says. Come on Ianto. Let's get out. How drunk is she? Can she walk on her own?"

Ianto threw his hands out and shrugged. "No clue." He went over to her and shook her violently. "Come on cousin. We have no time. We have to get you to bed now."

Gwen didn't budge, and when Ianto tried to force her out of the chair, she lashed out for him. "Leave me alone. I'm fine." She went back to her original position and passed out again.

"Don't bother." John started to get a little stressed. "Dean can pick up that mess later as well. Chances are that they won't check on the girls, and they can't come in here. You guys better lock the door."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean had no desire to sleep on that little couch. He'd stayed in too many motels in his time to know that it wasn't any good. When they were younger, Sam would always end up there, but as he grew up and turned into that long lanky dude he was now, Dean had to take it. That was one of the reasons he didn't help out. He didn't want to get out of the bed and risk losing it.

It was obvious that Jack had the same thought because he practically dived into the other bed before Ianto could take it.

The Welshman gave up getting his cousin out, and Dean got very surprised when the guy grabbed his bag to follow John outside. He was watching them from under his lashes, and wondered what was going on.

He opened his eyes wide when he realized that Castiel was still in the room. Dean didn't get a chance to say anything before the guy flipped a switch. It went dark, and it took a few seconds for Dean's eyes to adjust to it.

"Hey. I was… I can't find my bag." Jack whispered rather loudly. "Shush. We have to pretend to be asleep." Castiel' voice was barely audible as he padded across the floor and locked the door. As he did so, they could hear a car in the distance. "I guess it's them. Just keep quiet."

Dean didn't know what to think. What was Cas even doing here? He got a little bit of time to ponder over that as they waited, hoping that their chaperones would stay away.

"We switched." Castiel whispered as he peeked out the window. "Me and Ianto. I hope it's okay." For Dean it was more than okay, but he could hear that Jack emitted a disgruntled scoff before muttered: "Ianto and John. I guess I should have seen that coming." Castiel shushed him again before he sat down at the table where Gwen was sleeping soundly on the other side..

They were quiet for about ten minutes, and Dean could feel that he was about to doze off when a ping from his phone startled them all. He dug it out of his pocket. It was a text from his brother. "Coast clear. Everybody has turned in." He read it out loud, and before he had finished, Jack hurried to turn on the bedside lamp. It gave them enough light to move around, so Dean didn't bother to turn on his.

"Sorry Cas, but you're on the couch. It's non negotiable." Jack dug out a toothbrush from his pack and walked over to the bathroom. "It's fine." Cas slumped down on it and patted the seat. "It doesn't seem to bad. I'll be okay, but what do we do with her?" He nodded towards Gwen.

Dean didn't care much about Gwen, but he knew that they had to help her. Sleeping in that position through the night would probably make her quite sore in the morning. "I don't know. We should try to wake her, but I don't know where her room is so I can't follow her."

"I'll do it." Jack was obviously done in the bathroom. He walked over to the girl and shook her gently. "Come on sleepyhead. We have to get you to bed." She drew her breath heavily before she lifted her head a few inches of the table. "Jack. How nice. But wouldn't you rather sleep with Ianto?" She drew her breath again and rubbed her eyes. Then she startled visibly. "Sorry, sorry. I was dreaming. What's going on? Where am I?"

Jack chuckled a little as he grabbed her elbow and pulled her out of the chair. "I'll walk you to your room."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It took a little while for Jack to come back. In the meantime, Cas dug out the bedlinens from under the couch to make his bed, while Dean was in the bathroom. As soon as Dean was done, Cas hurried to grab his toiletries and rush in to get ready for bed.

Part of him wanted to hurry so that he could spend a few minutes alone with Dean, while another part dreaded the idea. He tried to relax as he decided to just keep a normal pace. If Jack came back before he was done, it was just…

Jack hadn't come back yet when Castiel came out, and he was a bit surprised. "I wonder what he's up to. Jack I mean." Dean commented on the guy's absence as he fluffed up the pillow before he sat back down on his bed.

Castiel shrugged as he went over to the kitchenette and turned on the tap to get a glass of water. "Oh, yeah. I need some water too." Dean got up and came over to grab a cup from the counter. The closeness gave Castiel shivers down his spine, and he couldn't help hitching his breath.

He let the water run for the longest time because he really wanted Dean to stay there for a little while. When Dean's hand brushed down his arm, Cas startled a little, but he managed to stay collected.

"Are you going to empty the reservoir or are we actually going to get a drink of water before we go to bed?" Dean's mouth was very close to Castiel's ear as he whispered the words. "Hmpf. I… Sorry." Cas held his own cup under the streaming water and filled it up before he tried to scoot away to give Dean access to the sink.

Dean didn't move. He breathed heavily into Castiel's ear as he grabbed onto his shoulder. Cas lifted his cup to take a sip, but his hand was shaking so much that he had to give it up. When Dean's other hand wrapped around his waist, he lost the grip on the cup and it fell into the sink and shattered.

Castiel could feel Dean's lips on his neck before the sound of the doorknob turning made them jump apart. Dean practically dived into his bed while Cas started picking the shards of glass out of the sink.

Jack looked from one to the other as he crossed the floor. The expression on his face was obvious. He knew that something had happened between them, but luckily he didn't say anything about it.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The ride back to Lima was not pleasant. Gwen was sitting in the back of the bus with Jo and Kevin. The three of them were thoroughly hung over, and Unique had demanded that they stayed away from the rest of the group in case they were getting sick. She had stolen a bucket from the motel to make sure they didn't puke on the seats, and she acted like their mother as she strictly told them to stay put and shut up.

Gwen was fine with that. She didn't feel nauseous at all, but her head was pounding. Jo had puked her guts out before they left the motel, so she was pretty sure the girl didn't have more to give. She'd curled up in fetal position and occupied the whole two seater across from Gwen.

Kevin was more of a concern. He looked rather pale leaning against the window behind her. The tail end of the bus made a few abrupt turns, and every time it happened, he seemed to be swallowing hard. He had the aforementioned bucket on his lap, and Gwen was pretty sure that he'd need i sooner or later.

She looked over at the rest of the choir. They had got little time to talk much before they had to leave, and she hadn't exchanged one word with her cousin since last night. Ianto and John were sharing a seat, and it did surprise her, but if the two of them were back being best friends it pleased her immensely.

It could of course be more to it than that, but it didn't look like there was anything else going on between them. Maybe they were just good at hiding it, but Gwen was pretty sure that it was only friendship.

Sam Winchester and Garth were sitting together. Even if the latter had been the first one to pass out last night it didn't seem to have any effect on him now. He was on fire as he tried to keep the mood up by singing random songs.

Dean sat across from them with his guitar on his lap, and he tried to strum it to follow Garth's lead, but he didn't put too much effort into it. It could seem like he was paying more attention to the couple in the seat in front of him. Unique and Castiel threw clandestine glances behind them, but every time Dean looked up, they hurried to turn away.

Jack was sitting all the way in the front across from the twins. His nose was buried in a book, and as far as Gwen could make out, he didn't look up once during the whole trip. She remembered vaguely that he'd walked her to her room last night, and she blushed a little to herself when she recalled how she'd clung to him as they crossed the courtyard.

She was pretty sure that he was more interested in Ianto, so it was kind of embarrassing to admit that her thighs were tingling a bit when she peeked over at him. The way his hand had wandered down her backside during the short walk last night, could possibly mean that he wasn't a hundred percent gay. Then again, he kind of did those sort of things all the time to practically everybody, so she should definitely not take it personal. It was like if he couldn't help himself.

At the moment he seemed to be content in his own little world, although he didn't look too happy. Gwen guessed that he was a little grumpy about Ianto and John hanging out. It was not a secret that Jack and John had competed over her cousin, but she didn't know for sure how serious that was.

Charlie was sleeping in the seat behind Mason and Madison, while Jane sat behind Jack and tried to sing along with Garth.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_When your legs don't work_

_like they used to before,_

_and I can't sweep you off of your feet…"_

Finally a song that Dean was more familiar with. He prided himself in being good at picking the chords for any song he heard, but Garth was all over the place and he didn't stay long on each song he started.

"_And, darling, I will be loving you_

'_til we're seventy_

_and, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23…"_

This was definitely going to take his mind of what happened last night. He had been drunk and a little bit too daring for his own comfort. When he woke up in the morning, Castiel had been ready to leave already, and they didn't get time to talk. It was just as well. Dean didn't know what to say anyway.

"_So honey now_

_take me into your loving arms_

_Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

_Place your head on my beating heart…"_

A few of the others had joined Garth singing this song, and Dean could hear Castiel's subtle voice trickling into his ear.

"_...maybe we found love right where we are."_

Dean had always been a classic rock kind of guy, but when he at one point in the not too distant past had discovered Ed Sheeran's songs, he'd grown quite fond of the guy's work. This one was very popular at the moment, but it was not Dean's favorite. He could still play it by heart, and didn't have to pay much attention as he strummed the guitar.

"_...when my hands don't play the strings the same way…_

_I know you will still love me the same."_

He'd noticed how Castiel and Unique had thrown a few glances behind them during the trip, and he knew that the two of them were talking about what happened. With the singing and chatter amongst the other guys, Dean had not been able to hear them even if he was sitting pretty close. It was probably for the best. He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"_So, baby, now_

_Take me into your loving arms_

_Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

_Oh, darling, place your head on my beating heart_

_I'm thinking out loud_

_But maybe we found love right where we are_

_Oh, baby, we found love right where we are_

_And we found love right where we are."_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sam Evans had been there to greet them when the bus driver left them in the school's parking lot. He'd hugged each and every one of them as they came off the bus before he reminded them about the next competition. "Nationals is going to take place in Orlando, Florida."

He was all smiles although he must have noticed that a couple of his students were still a bit hungover, and that they had clearly not heeded his words the night before. Most of them were fine though; the party hadn't lasted long enough to get them all drunk, but a few had no tolerance for alcohol.

"Most of you will be done with your exams at that time, but it will be tough." The guys in the choir just wanted to go home, but Mr Evans kept talking. "We know." Jack rolled his eyes. Did their director really think that they didn't know? "We may not even get invited, so what's the point talking about it now." He was tired and a little bit grumpy, and he had no desire to hang outside of school any longer than he needed.

The director looked at him. Sam's smile didn't fade much, but it was evident that he didn't like the interruption. "Yeah, well. We are competing with about fifty other choirs as you all know, and the judges will be here in about two weeks."

Among all the winners of the different regional championships, only twelve choirs would be eligible. The judges would pick the twelve from watching videos of them, but they would also travel the country to see them live. "We don't have much time. Our regionals were postponed; which was unfortunate, and it means that we have little time to prepare."

Jack didn't know that, but he wasn't discouraged. "Okay, but we can't do anything today regardless." He was so tired that he could possibly have fallen asleep on his feet. He was also quite pissed about what happened between Ianto and John. The whole Ianto situation had made him twist and turn all night, and even if he got a few seconds of sleep on the bus, it was hardly enough.

"I agree, but I just wanted you to be aware of the situation, and be ready for two weeks of intense rehearsal. I have arranged for a dance coach to come, and Rachel, er, Miss Berry will take time off to help perfect the performance."

Garth emitted a few whoops, but nobody joined in. Everybody else looked just as tired as Jack felt. He got a little excited knowing that Rachel would be back, but he was in no shape to cheer at the moment. "Cool, but can we go now?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gwen, Ianto and Jo were waiting for Ianto's sister to pick them up; Jack and Garth had already left with Charlie, and Kevin had decided to walk home. "Need a bit of fresh air." He still looked a bit pale as he waved goodbye to his friends.

John had offered to take the Welshies home, but Ianto had already called his sister, and had to decline. "Sorry. Should have asked you first, but… See you tomorrow." The two boys hugged before John took off.

"You need a ride?" Dean knew that he sounded a bit hesitant as addressed Cas. He nodded towards the Impala and tried to look somewhat aloof. It could look like Castiel was about to follow Unique to her car when he got the question. He didn't get a chance to reply, Unique flipped around. "That'll be great. I'm taking Jane and the twins, so if you don't mind. Saves me a long drive around town."

Sam Winchester was leaning on the hood of the Impala when Gwen ran over to him. Dean couldn't hear what they talked about, but the girl was gesturing towards Jo and Ianto before she started pulling Sam with her. He looked a little intimidated, but followed her willingly.

"What do you say?" Dean was staring at his brother a little puzzled, and didn't look at Cas as he asked him again. At that moment, Rhiannon pulled up next to the foursome, and before Dean realized what was going on, Sam waved and entered her car with the others.

"Sure. If you're offering, it'll be great. Unique's car doesn't really fit five." Dean startled a little when Cas suddenly was next to him. He looked totally relaxed as he walked over to the Impala and opened the passenger door. He threw his bag into the backseat before he turned around. "Let's go then."

Dean really wanted to take Cas home, but he'd thought that Sam would be there as well. Not that he didn't want to be alone with Castiel, but it would have been a little easier to keep a conversation going.

As he pulled out of the parking lot, Dean couldn't come up with anything sensible to say. He was pretty sure that whatever came out of his mouth would sound totally lame. He did not have to worry.

"Can't believe we won. I really thought that the other choirs would be better, but… well I didn't hear them sing, but Mr Schuester and Mrs Lopez told me that they kind of knew that… you know, er, Vocal Adrenaline was awesome according to them, but they didn't have the best tenor. Jack blew the judges away." Cas drew his breath. "I mean, he is really good, but don't ever tell him I said that. He is a little too cocky."

The guy was ranting. Dean was happy that they didn't have to make the drive in total silence, but he would have wanted to talk about other things. "Rachel Berry. You know she's a star, and she's going to coach us for nationals. It's so totally awesome. I'm not sure it will help. We are competing with the best of the best, but…" Castiel stopped rather abruptly when the car approached the intersection that connected with the street where the Novak-residence was.

"Oh. We're here already. That was, er, fast." Cas sighed heavily, and Dean spotted a little bit of disappointment in his voice. It pleased him immensely, and he slowed down significantly before they reached Castiel's street. With the blinker on, Dean turned to look at his passenger. "I can always drive around the block if you want." He knew that if he turned on the next street instead, it would take about three more minutes to reach the house from the other side.

Dean wanted to spend time with Castiel, but he had no idea how. The few encounters that could have led to anything had happened when Dean was drunk. Alert and sober, he didn't have the guts to say or do anything. Driving around the block wouldn't change that, and he wanted to beat himself up for being such a whimp.

"No. It's okay." Cas looked away and exhaled audibly. "I have to get some sleep. I, I, uh. You know… Do you want to hang out sometime?" The car rolled slowly towards the intersection, and Dean could see that Castiel's face turned red. He sped up a little and entered the street. "Sure. We could... like, a movie maybe?"

Five seconds later they were outside the house. Castiel reach back to get his bag before he turned to Dean. "Maybe. Yeah, sounds like a plan." He opened the door and crawled out of the car.

Dean watched him as he walked to the door, and he didn't drive away until Cas was inside. He'd hoped for a smile, a wave or just a quick glance, but Castiel entered the house without looking back.

Dean turned on the stereo as he pulled away from the curb. The sound of that lonely guitar was totally unfamiliar to him, and he knew that his brother was to blame.

"_If you didn't care what happened to me_

_And I didn't care for you..."_

It was Pink Floyd, and Dean reached out to change the music, but then he just let it be.

"_We would zig zag our way through boredom and pain_

_Occasionally glancing up through the rain_

_Wondering which of the buggers to blame_

_And watching for pigs on the wing."_

The lyrics made absolutely no sense to him, but the tune fit his mood rather well. The guitar sounded cool enough; maybe this band wasn't so bad after all.

'A movie maybe?' Dean suddenly realized that those were pretty much the only words he'd uttered during the drive. Well, except for the little discussion before they entered Castiel's street. 'A movie maybe?' What would that entail exactly?

Dean wondered if he was supposed to initiate it, or if Castiel would step up and take charge. It didn't have to be a movie, he could take Cas out for dinner or just invite him over one day. He was outside his own building before he had come to any conclusion.

"_I gotta admit that I'm a little bit confused_

_Sometimes it seems to me as if I'm just being used_

_Gotta stay awake, gotta try and shake off this creeping malaise_

_If I don't stand my own ground, how can I find..."_

Pink Floyd was still on as he parked the car. Dean turned off the engine effectively choking the music.

He knew he should probably come up with something rather quickly. Dean didn't know how long Castiel would wait for him to man up, but it took a little while before he had time to ponder on in much.


	30. A different move and a different movie

Not everybody is thrilled about the choice of songs, and when they have to dance as well, it gets even worse. For some it's more than okay, but Dean is not in a happy place. Gwen does not like Jack's behavior, but she prevails. She also gets a challenge, and goes for it. An embarrassing video is posted on Youtube.

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**Songs in this chapter**

**You raise me up - Secret Garden (original) - M: Rolf Lovland, L: Brendan Graham**

**Best song ever - One Direction - M/L: Hector, Ryan, Drewett, Bunetta, Townhend**

* * *

Two weeks of intense rehearsals took it's toll on the guys in the choir. For those who had other extracurricular activities as well, it was even worse. Charlie was pretty much sleepwalking into the choir room at the beginning of the last week, and Dean acted more or less like a zombie when he came from training.

Meetings in the Computer club were not like they used to be. Sam, Garth and Kevin tried to keep it together, but the guys that didn't sing in the choir had asked them to take a break. With Charlie pretty much out of commision - she had orchestra as well - they had to let her second in command take charge.

Sam Winchester didn't have much to do outside of that, but he didn't get much sleep at home during this time. His brother played the guitar at all hours, and Sam wondered if Dean even slept a wink.

Castiel's church choir was going to have a concert in a couple of weeks as well, so he put more strain on his voice than was healthy, and eventually he kind of lost it. With strict orders from his doctor to rest his vocal chords, the boy pined away in the back while the others had to pick up the slack.

With Rachel Berry in the house, Jack didn't get much rest either. Being back in Lima for a fortnight, she wanted to make the most of it, so when rehearsal was over, she dragged him along when she visited old friends.

It wasn't a secret that Sam Evans participated in these outings; the rumor about him and Rachel was well known, but he didn't have to get up early to go to class.

Jack Harkness, one of the most handsome guys at school - according to some - looked like something the cat dragged in when the second week came around.

Jack was a trooper though, and he managed to keep it up and he delivered every time. When Sam Evans decided that they should focus on one great solo, and that Jack should do it, there were a few murmurs between the others. They knew that Sam and Jack spent a lot of time together so they found it a little unfair, but eventually they all realized that Jack would be their best bet regardless.

Easter holiday in the UK was a two week affair, and the surprise visit from Gwen's boyfriend over there threw the whole Jones household upside down for a moment. "We were supposed to be on a break for a year. We didn't want to promise each other anything." Gwen was torn between him and the choir, but managed to stay somewhat focused.

For Sam Winchester it all looked like a big mess, and he just hoped that they would manage to hang in there for a little bit longer.

There were other problems as well. Mr Evans kept reminding them that if they got picked, it would be a costly affair. The school would chip in as much as possible, but the Glee-Club had to come up with ways to raise money.

A few of them were perfectly capable of chouging up the cash themselves, but Sam knew that for his brother it would be impossible. The worst part was that even if they by some miracle could manage to scrape together the required amount, Sam knew that he had to stay behind in Lima.

It wasn't such a big deal though. A weekend in the Sunshine State would be too hot that time of year anyway, and Sam didn't care so much for the heat.

He knew he was rationalizing and that he made up excuses, but it was his way of coping with the facts.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gwen didn't know what to do about Rhys. Jo knew that her friend was in a little bit of a pickle, and that she didn't really have time for him. He had to stay in the house with Rhiannon and the kids the whole day while Gwen and Ianto were at school. He was allowed into the choir room during the rehearsals, but Gwen couldn't really focus on him regardless. The guy was older; maybe twenty or more, and didn't look too comfortable hanging with a bunch of teeneagers.

He was coping though, and it wasn't hard to understand that the reason was that he was totally and completely head over heels in love with Gwen. She seemed way more uncertain about their relationship, but she did her best to keep him happy during the short breaks.

Jack's flirting was something they all had gotten accustomed to; Gwen had always been one of his preferred targets, and she blushed easily every time. With the boyfriend in the house, she tried to brush it off, but it could look like Jack purposely tried to make her uncomfortable.

Except for Gwen, it was mostly the guys in the choir that got his attention. Specifically Ianto, but after regionals, he had barely looked at the guy.

Jo had to admit that she wasn't the best in reading people, but she knew both Gwen and Ianto fairly well. They both seemed bothered by it. Gwen because she didn't want the attention from Jack at the moment, and Ianto because he didn't get it.

It was a puzzle, and with more time on her hands she would have wanted to solve it. She could still not believe that Ianto was into boys, but there were signs, and it was possible that she had to change her views on that.

With Jack it wasn't any doubt; she'd seen him and John together, and even if she was quite drunk and sleepy at the time, she wasn't that stupid. The fact that Jack didn't limit his flirting to one gender was of course a little strange, but some people were bisexuals.

Her own love life was a different story. She could look dreamily at both John and Jack, but none of them were really her type. She hadn't expected Sam Winchester to be her type either, but she caught herself thinking about him more often than she was willing to admit to herself.

She had also actually made a move or two, and he seemed to be reciprocating well, but he didn't really do anything about it. Maybe he was just extremely shy, or maybe he wasn't that into her. It was that thing about reading people. Jo knew she could have got it all wrong; that Sam was just being friendly and didn't like her that way.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was funny how Gwen did her best to shy away from him when he openly flirted with her. She had always found it amusing before, but now she seemed quite bothered by it. It was a real turn on for Jack. He knew why she was being so evasive with her boyfriend around, but he couldn't help himself. He kind of liked to make her feel uncomfortable.

That he also wanted Ianto to be jealous wasn't something he liked to think about, but in the back of his mind he knew that that was the underlying reason.

Another issue that he was not very comfortable with was that John and Ianto had found their way back to each other again. That their relationship was seemingly on the friendly side didn't matter. Jack felt that in reality, he'd lost them both.

He'd had a few complicated relationships in the past, but he'd always prided himself with the fact that they always ended quite amicably. So maybe he didn't really have that kind of relationship with any of the two boys, but they were friends, and at the moment Jack felt left out in the cold. It was a very unfamiliar feeling.

As a singer he still had the choir's support, although some of them didn't like that he was picked as the lead. They understood though, and at rehearsals it was almost like normal. It was in class and during the small breaks he felt it.

That he chose to let his frustration out on the one guy who was completely innocent in all this was unfortunate. Well, it wasn't something he'd actually chosen. Jack had no idea that Gwen's boyfriend would show up, and when he flirted with her, the guy looked at him with concern and quite a bit sadness. That look didn't sit well with Jack at all, but nonetheless...

Gwen was a hottie, and he wouldn't have pushed her away if things had been different, but if hooking up with Ianto's best friend was a mistake, hooking up with his cousin would have been catastrophic. Not that he thought that he'd ever have a chance with Ianto regardless after everything that had happened, but he didn't want to burn all bridges.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Castiel was thoroughly pissed off. During that second week of rehearsal he felt more like a prop than an actual member of the choir. He did his dance steps and managed to follow the choreography quite well, but he was not allowed to sing.

If he didn't get his voice back before the performance, he would have to mime through the songs, and that would just be tragic.

Charlie played the intro on her violin. She and Jack stood together center stage for their first rehearsal in the auditorium.

"_When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;_

_When troubles come and my heart burdened be…"_

Castiel was supposed to be Jack's sidekick on the song, and now he had to watch as Unique took that spot. Not that he didn't think she was capable, but he really wanted to do it because he loved that song.

"_You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;_

_You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;_

_I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;_

_You raise me up... To more than I can be."_

As he walked forward with the others to do the chorus, Cas didn't even bother to move his lips. There were really no point in it.

Jack and Unique stepped up for the second verse flanked by Ianto and John. Jack sang the few lines while the other three hummed before they joined him on the chorus.

"_There is no life ' no life without its hunger;_

_Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;_

_But when you come and I am filled with wonder,_

_Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity."_

"_You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;_

_You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas…"_

Dean didn't have to do the dancing. He was with the band, and he only had to walk forward with the others when they all sang together. He was so handsome as he did his guitar solo, and Cas looked at him dreamily. Charlie stepped away from the others to grab her violin again. As the sound of Dean's guitar faded out she delivered a short solo before Jack and Unique did the chorus with the band playing subtly in the background.

For the last round they all joined in and even the musicians sang along making the choir sound fuller and better. Castiel couldn't stop himself from singing, and it went rather well.

"_You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;_

_You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;_

_I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;_

_You raise me up... To more than I can be._

_You raise me up... To more than I can be."_

He could feel that his voice was cracking a little on the high notes, but he was definitely better. It wouldn't change much. Castiel knew that he would be a background singer for this performance no matter what. With the church choir's gig coming up, he had to be careful.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"A movie maybe." Dean was constantly thinking about the words he'd uttered in the car when he dropped Castiel off. He had barely exchange a word with the guy since then, and he was starting to get a little restless.

With only a few hours of sleep every night, Dean didn't dare to say anything right now. He was overworked and constantly tired, and he knew that anything coming out of his mouth could be too stupid and silly.

He wanted to get this over with so he could go on with his life. He partially wanted them to fail because he knew that he would be completely unable to find the money needed for the trip. It wasn't in Dean's nature to go for a loss, so he knew he'd give it his all, but he really hoped that it wouldn't be enough.

With the kind of sad song that Jack and Unique fronted, they had all decided to do a more upbeat one for their next number. What Mr Evans came up with didn't sit well with Dean at all, and he actually pondered on making a mess of it just in spite.

Five boys were picked to do the lead, but with Castiel out of commission, Dean was asked to take the spot. He didn't have to do a big solo or anything, but he'd cringed when he learned who they were going to cover.

Gwen was practically ecstatic even if she would only be a background singer, while some of the girls reluctantly agreed to the choice. Madison and Jane tried to fight it, demanding that they'd picked a song that would let one of the girls be the lead, but with limited time, they gave it up.

It was an easy song, and Dean knew he would be able to sing his part flawlessly. The dancing was a different story, and he hated that he had to do it. That he was filling in for Castiel was even worse, and he felt so sorry for the boy. Dean really wanted to tell him, but once again he chickened out.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The boys in One Direction weren't especially famous for their choreography, but he music video to the song had some moves that Mr Evans and Rachel wanted the choir to do. Of the five boys who were picked for the lead, John, Mason, and Garth managed fine while Ianto and Dean seemed to have only left feet.

Gwen knew every step; and it annoyed her greatly that some of the guys seemed to mess up on purpose. Dean was one of those who definitely didn't put his heart into this, and she wanted to punch him when he for the umpteenth time moved to the wrong side or stepped forward when he was supposed to step back.

The choreographer from dance class was at his wits end when their first day of rehearsal for the song was over. They were sent home with a demand to watch the video and study every move. Gwen got a special task. She had to teach Ianto.

Ianto had never been much of a dancer, but at least he'd tried. Gwen was more concerned about Kevin and Dean. They were both pretty hopeless, and even if Kevin hadn't been so verbal about it, the two of them managed to make a mockery of the whole thing. The rest of the guys seemed to get it, although some could need a few more lessons.

Gwen wasn't sure if she did the right thing when she pulled Dean and Kevin aside. "Come over. I can help you. I know this song by heart, and I know every step. If I'm going to teach Ianto, I can just as well include you two."

Dean seemed to be about to brush her off, but then he faltered a little, and Gwen could have sworn that it happened just as Castiel stared right at them. "Uh, sure. It'll be great." He actually looked a little embarrassed, and Gwen wondered if it was due to the fact that he'd gotten the spot because Cas was out of commision for the time being. She didn't really care why. If Dean wanted to learn, she was ready to kick ass.

Kevin had to call home before he made a decision, but then he nodded. "It's okay, but I can't stay long."

As they gathered their stuff to get out of there, Dean came over. "Er, you know, ehrm, If Cas gets his voice back, he'll… Then I don't have to do it." He paused and drew his breath heavily. Gwen had no idea what he was thinking. If he was pushed back to the chorus line, he'd still had to dance.

"I, I, I thought maybe that Cas should tag along. He could benefit from you coaching." Dean shrugged as he looked away. Gwen noticed the faint pink hue on his face and then she got it. Although she kind of wanted the two of them to get together, this was not the time and place.

"Oh dear. Castiel can do this. He doesn't need any coaching from me. If you think that you can use this training session as a means to hang out with Castiel, I can tell you that I don't want to hear it." Gwen was out of breath and had to take a moment. "If you want to hang out with him, you have to man up and ask him on a date. This will not be it."

She could see that Dean got a little startled, but luckily for him he didn't try to come up with any lame explanation to contradict her. Gwen was more than ready to give him another piece of her mind if he had.

"Sorry. I just… Sorry." He looked so sad and defeated that Gwen felt an urge to comfort him. The whole conversation had happened with nobody else nearby, but now everybody was crowding around them to get their bags, and Gwen didn't want to embarrass the guy any further.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." She knew that Dean had to take his brother home first, and they wouldn't have much time. As soon as they were outside in the parking lot and everybody else was out of earshot, she grabbed Dean's sleeve to hold him back. "I understand, and I can help you, but not today. See you at our house in a few, right?"

Dean's brother was the only one near enough to hear her, but it didn't look like he cared about what she'd said.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_Maybe it's the way she walked (wow)_

_Straight into my heart and stole it…"_

John sang the lines as Jo crossed the stage. The two of them shared a flirtatious glance while he continued. And then Mason stepped forward.

"_I said, 'can you give it back to me'_

_She said, 'never in your wildest dreams'..."_

The rest of the choir came running out dancing as if they were at a club.

"_And we danced all night to the best song ever_

_We knew every line_

_Now I can't remember_

_How it goes but I know_

_That I won't forget her_

_Cause we danced all night to the best song ever_

_I think it went oh, oh, oh_

_I think it went yeah, yeah, yeah_

_I think it goes…"_

Dean was a bit hesitant, but his voice was good enough for the next part.

"_Said her name was Georgia Rose (wow)_

_And her daddy was a dentist"_

John was on fire, and he could have been the stand-in for Harry Stiles anytime the way he moved. Garth was more subtle, but he too did a great job.

"_I said, "can I take you home with me"_

_She said."never in your wildest dreams"_

They all lined up for the choreographed dance moves, and it went way better than it had gone yesterday. That Gwen had taken it upon herself to coach the ones that had troubles in the dancing department had really payed off.

"_I think it went oh, oh, oh_

_I think it went yeah, yeah, yeah_

_I think it goes…"_

Everybody knew that Ianto was more of a heavy metal man, but the way he did his part could fool anybody. He had been trained by his cousin, and even if his moves were still a little stiff, nobody could complain about the passion he put into it. He and Mason stepped forward and did their individual lines, while the rest of the choir stopped all movements.

"_You know, I know, you know I'll remember you_

_And I know, you know, I know you'll remember me…"_

All the background singers started the little dance again for the next chorus, while John, Ianto, Garth, Dean, and Mason jumped around randomly.

"_How we danced all night to the best song ever_

_We knew every line_

_Now I can't remember_

_How it goes but I know_

_That I won't forget her_

_Cause we danced all night to the best song ever…"_

They all lined up again and did the chorus again. This time it went surprisingly well, and the five boys in front managed to do it without a hitch. Kevin had a little stumble, but it was barely noticeable because he was standing right behind Dean.

As Mason sang the last line all the others dug into their pockets and then they threw confetti into the air.

"_Best song ever_

_It was the best song ever."_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I can taste the bile." Dean didn't even try to hide that he didn't like the song choice. He could see that Ianto rolled his eyes and nodded clandestinely before he threw a quick glance at Gwen. They had both tried to convince Mr Evans to do another song, but their suggestions had been turned down.

Dean had secretly agreed that Ianto's weird picks were a little out there. Black metal would never fly in this environment. The guy kind of knew that himself, and had really lobbied for Dean's suggestions. "Classic rock could be a winner."

When nobody was willing to take their side, Ianto tried to find songs from different musicals. For Dean it was more like the least of two evils, but he knew that musicals were Ianto's guilty pleasure so he did his best to give his support.

Boyband music was so far from what he usually listened to, and even if some of the songs weren't too bad, he still felt slightly uneasy about it.

When he suddenly got the spot as one of the 'frontmen', he didn't realize how bad it would feel. He had been more concerned about Castiel losing it. At the end of the week, when they had rehearsed the song about a million times, he felt physically ill.

The guys on the athletics team were going to mock him till the end of the season, and Dean did not want that. It was bad enough that he was in Glee-club, but this song could possibly be his downfall. That he was the best Wide receiver the team had had the last few years, wouldn't help. The only solace he could think of was that the school year was almost over, and he didn't have to see them ever again after finals.

It was a futile dream. Two days before the actual performance, Sam discovered a video online posted by one of Dean's teammates. He had obviously been in the auditorium for a rehearsal, and had spliced together a little thing with Dean on stage, mixed with him in football gear on the field.

When Monday came around, almost the whole student mass had seen it, and it was impossible for him to walk the halls without hearing somebody starting to sing. "Said her name was Georgia Rose…"


	31. Nationals, prom, hallelujah

Finding money for Nationals is their main concern, but they make time for a get-together. Prom is coming up, and it is troubling for some. Dean and Wade go to a church concert.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**A few hymns and some other songs**

**America the Beautiful - Patriotic song - L: Katharine Lee Bates, M: Samuel A. Ward**

**Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen - M/L: Leonard Cohen**

* * *

"We won't hear anything for at least another week or maybe two, but I suggest that we start trying to find the money required regardless." They had all gotten time off from class Monday morning to perform in front of the judges, and it was an exhausted gang that sat in the choir room that afternoon. Sam Evans had been pleased with them, and he'd promised them that there would be no class today, but he wanted to get them together for a little talk before they got dismissed.

"If we raise the money, but don't get picked, we can spend it on something else. You guys deserve a trip anyway, so…" He paused and threw his hands out. "Go home, get some rest, but think about it. Bake sale, car wash, anything."

They practically crawled out of there as they waved goodbye to their coach. John was pretty sure that nobody was going to come up with anything tonight. They were so fed up with rehearsals that most of them had been ready to leave the choir before the weekend, so spending the free afternoon pondering on ways to raise money would not happen.

He and Ianto had decided to use the time to go out for a bite to eat, and John asked around to find out if anybody wanted to tag along.

Gwen's boyfriend, Rhys was going back home the next day, and she wanted to spend some time with him so she was in a hurry to get home. Jane, Unique and Madison wanted to do some shopping; Charlie decided to scramble together a meeting in computer club. Garth and Kevin wasn't too keen on that, but they did follow her.

Dean always came in late for class because he was on the athletics team, and he wasn't even there when they got dismissed. Castiel wanted to come, but told them that he'd catch up because he had something else to do first. John wasn't born yesterday, he knew that Cas wanted to wait for Dean.

It wasn't hard to see that Jack wanted to come with, but he didn't confirm it at first. John could kind of understand. The three of them together without anyone else around could be slightly awkward. When Jo had called home to make sure it was okay, and Mason finally said yes, Jack seemed a little relieved as he followed them out.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

There wasn't a soul in the restaurant when they walked in. The couple of waiters were hanging by the bar while another was sorting silverware at a table in the back. They all looked up, but it didn't seem like any of them were in any hurry to greet the guests.

The explanation came quickly. "Oh Mr Hart." A small, stocky, dark haired woman, probably in her forties came rushing out from the kitchen. She kissed John on both cheeks before she grabbed his hand. "Your table is ready for you and your friends. How many will you be." She looked at the others as her face turned sad. "Only five? I prepared a table for ten."

John pulled a chair out for Jo, and nodded for her to sit. "We are expecting a couple more, but most of my classmates were too tired to come. Last week was tough, and we had a performance this morning."

The woman slapped her hands together. "Aww. I hope it went well." She gestured for the boys to find their seats. "Do you need the menu now, or will you wait for your friends?"

They didn't really know if Cas and Dean would show up, and John looked at the others before he made a quick decision. "Let's have some of your special lemonade Mrs Rossi, if that's okay. I have to make a call first."

The woman smiled and walked away. A few minutes later she came out with a carafe with a pinkish liquid and placed it on the table. One of the waiters had followed her and sat down a small pitcher of water next to the carafe.

Mrs Rossi patted the girl's shoulder. "Give Carla a nod if you need anything. I will be right with you."

As soon as the two had left, Jack turned to John. "What is this? Is it family or something?" He smiled and threw a quick peek at Mrs Rossi's back as she entered the kitchen again. "I can not see any family resemblance, but I've learned not to take things at face value. So… Share."

John lifted the carafe and poured a small amount of the drink into Jo's glass. "Women first." He filled his own glass halfway before he handed the thing to Jack. "I guess you know that it is wine. It's very low alcohol content, but it's refreshing and a little bit sparkly."

As soon as the other three had served themselves, John leaned back in his chair. "I guess you can call it family. Sophia, er, Mrs Rossi and my parents went to school together. I have known her all my life."

He took a sip from his glass before he continued. "I was just a toddler when Mr Rossi passed away, and I don't remember him at all. They had just opened this restaurant and Sophia was in a little bit of a financial crises. My father decided to help her out so he became sort of a silent partner."

Ianto looked a little startled. "Your father? But isn't he in Europe?" He threw his hands out and blushed a little. "I guess a silent partner doesn't have to be nearby. Sorry." John reached over the table and patted his hand. "That's probably right, but it doesn't matter. When he left us, when my parents got divorced, my mom got this as part of the settlement. My mom actually owns a little bit of this establishment now."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Castiel had no idea what to say to Dean when he showed up. Maybe he should just try to pretend that he was late out of class and that he for some reason decided to hang around in the parking lot just for the heck of it.

He really wanted to go to the restaurant with the others, but it would be so much more interesting if Dean tagged along.

As he threw his bag into the backseat of the car, Sam Winchester came out of the building. That probably meant that Dean was on his way, and Cas tried to man up little. "Hey. Cas. Castiel. Where's everybody? Didn't you have choir practice?" Sam shouted as he walked towards him.

"Eh, no. We got dismissed because we put in a lot of hours over the last two weeks." He realized that this was his opportunity. "I'm meeting up with John and Ianto and a few others from the choir. We are going out for a bite."

Sam was closing in and they didn't have to shout anymore. "Does Dean know? Is he there?" It was obvious that Sam just then noticed that the Impala was still in the parking lot. "Where is he?"

Cas drew his breath quickly. "Football, er, basketball, I don't know. You want to come? You're part of the team, aren't you?" Sam looked down a little shyly for a moment before he asked: "Who's there, and where is it?"

Castiel didn't know where they were going, but he'd got driving directions from John, and was told to look for 'Little Milan'. "An Italian place downtown. I don't know it." At that point his phone started ringing, and he picked up as he uttered: "Jo is there by the way."

It was John. He asked if they were coming, but Cas didn't really know yet. He looked up at Sam again. "John. He want to know who's coming." Sam seemed a little bit flustered, but he nodded vigorously. "Tell him that we'll be there, I just have to find my brother first."

With the hopes that Dean would come too, he relayed the message to John. "We're coming. Sam just have to find his brother."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean didn't know what was going on. When he walked towards the car, Sam was waiting for him as he'd expected, but his brother was not his normal self. "Come on. We are going out for a meal. Follow that car." Sam pointed towards a vehicle idling at the entrance of the parking lot. Dean immediately noticed that it was Castiel's car, - or technically, the pastor's car - and had no problems complying to his brother's orders. He had no idea why, but got a quick explanation as they hit the road.

"I don't know much, but John and Jo and a couple of more people from Glee-club are at an Italian restaurant somewhere in town. They asked if we'd come too." He faltered a little. "Er, I, maybe not me, but Castiel told me… He kind of suggested that I come too because I'm, like, part of the team."

Dean didn't think it would matter. Sam was really a part of this, and if anyone suggested otherwise he's give them a piece of his mind. That Cas thought Sam was eligible for this meetup it should be good enough.

The others were already viewing the menu when the tree of them were shown to the table by an Italian woman. "More limonade?" She asked before she removed an empty carafe from the table. John nodded. "Sure. These guys needs to try it as well."

Jack scooted over and let Sam have the seat next to Jo. That left Dean and Cas with only one option. They had to sit together across from Sam and Jack.

Dean knew that they couldn't afford this, and he hoped that his brother was aware of it. If they ordered the cheapest thing on the menu it would probably be alright, but they would have to settle for water to drink.

When John urged them to try the wine they were served, Dean tried to wave it away, but then John got up from his seat. "All drinks are on me. Whatever you want." He threw a quick peek at Dean before he panned the crowd. "I brought you here. I chose this place, It's my pleasure to pay part of the bill."

Dean kind of knew that John had noticed his reluctance to try the wine, and it was kind of embarrassing. The way the guy decided to deal with it was very chevaleresque. He knew how to avoid making people feel uncomfortable.

Dean remembered that from the party they had at his house. John was doing his best to include everybody. He had been the perfect host.

Some of the items on the menu was a bit pricy, but most of it was surprisingly cheap. Dean hoped that Sam would know what to do as he himself ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese. It was actually less expensive than a meal at their favorite burger joint.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It wasn't actually a date, but sitting there next to Dean was nice. If he moved his leg just slightly to the left, their knees would touch, but Castiel tried to avoid it. He didn't want this to be awkward in any way.

Having wine at a restaurant was quite extraordinary for a bunch of teenagers, and Cas secretly wondered how this place could be allowed to stay in business when the owner bent the rules like that to accommodate John. Even if his mother was part owner, and John himself was a regular, it was still a dangerous move.

That they called it limonade didn't really cover up much. Anyone walking in would soon guess that it was an alcoholic beverage. When John explained that this was not something that happened very often, and almost only when they had private parties, it was more understandable. "We kids used to get this on special occasions from we were fourteen or something, and this is a special occasion."

The restaurant was surprisingly empty, and that had a reasonable explanation as well. "Mondays they open at five. This is really a private party, and as soon as they open the doors for other guests, we have to stick to water and soft drinks."

When Mrs Rossi came to take their orders she brought a small plate of bruschetta for them to share. "This is on the house. Something I threw together when you told me you'd come." It was a nice little appetizer, and the eight of them chewed as they toasted with what was left of the wine.

Dean leaned over to grab another one, and had to press his chest towards Castiel's shoulder to reach it. He could have asked someone to send the plate, but Cas was happy he didn't. He had Dean's ear practically in his face for a second and held held his breath so it wouldn't hitch. He didn't want Dean to hear how the closeness affected him.

The moment was over, but Dean had shifted a little in his seat as he sat back, and Cas could feel the whole length of Dean's thigh against his own.

The food came to the table and one of the waitresses cleared the table of any trace of wine before she went to turn the door sign to 'OPEN'. Busy eating, Castiel tried not to think about the two layers of denim separating him and Dean. Every so often, Dean tapped his heel on the floor, creating a little friction between them, but he didn't pull his leg away.

Castiel was pretty sure that the guy did this on purpose, and it somehow felt that they had their own little secret thing going on. That Castiel himself didn't really do anything was a minor issue. Dean should be fully aware of the fact that Cas could have moved away if he wanted to avoid it.

When the meal was over and the bill was payed, everybody started to get up. Cas procrastinated. He didn't want to let go because he didn't know when the next chance came to be so close to Dean.

Eventually, he pushed his chair back and got up.

Everybody went their separate ways after the meal. None of them were drunk or even a little bit tipsy after drinking wine, but it was kind of nice to have been able to do it.

Sam and Dean took Jo home, Mason had to pick up his sister from the mall. John took Ianto and Jack back to their houses, and Castiel drove away alone.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The rest of the week went as normal. Choir practice was a bit amputated because they were spending more time figuring out how to get money than to actually sing.

Prom was coming up, and Unique had a suggestion on how to make some money out of that. "We can style and make up those who can't afford to go to a salon." She nodded towards Gwen. "Gwen is pretty good with hair, and I can do make-up semi-professional."

It was an option, but it wouldn't be enough. Other options were thought of, and it was decided that they could have a car wash as well. "I'm pretty good with a sewing machine." Jack raised his hand. "A lot of students can't afford new clothes for prom, maybe we can help them fit into the second hand dresses they have to wear."

Almost everybody thought it could be a good idea, but John got up and threw his hands out. "You all try to find ways to get money from those less fortunate. Why don't we make an effort to milk those who are loaded?"

Coming from John, the little speech made an impact on the others. He would definitely be one of the targets for that approach. "I mean, my mom would pay handsomely if we performed at one of her functions."

Mr Evans sighed. "We can't sing professionally. We could be disqualified." He rubbed his chin and stared into the air. "Of course, if it's a private party or something it could work. I'll find out."

Charlie and Garth would make posters to advertise their services; John would spread the word to his mother's acquaintances, and Dean would ask the manager at the garage where he worked a few hours a week, if they could have the car-wash there.

They talked a little about who was going to the prom, but except for Jane and the twins, nobody had decided yet. It was for Seniors only, so a lot of them weren't eligible unless they were invited.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"We could go as a group, right?" Gwen had just shipped her boyfriend off to Wales, and was not interested in going with anybody in particular. She'd asked the seniors to stay behind in the choir room after class to throw out her suggestion. "Sure." Unique second the idea, and looked at the others.

Jane had a date, and wasn't interested, but she supported the idea. Mason and Madison had planned to go together, but embraced Gwen's solution.

John and Jack just shrugged, while Dean turned away as if he wasn't paying attention. Gwen knew perfectly well that he's heard everything, and she was certain she knew the reason why he was a little evasive.

"Are you not going?" She didn't want to let him off the hook. Maybe it was mean of her to push him, but if she had to pay the ticket for him herself she really wanted him to come. It was too sad if he had to stay home because he couldn't afford it.

"It's not, erm, it's not for me. I don't even have a nice suit, let alone a tux." He drew his breath. "No big deal. I never even thought I would graduate, but it looks like I am, but going to senior prom is, I mean… no big deal. I haven't thought about it, and it's okay."

All the seniors looked at him wide-eyed. "Are you kidding me?" Unique looked like she was about to burst. "I have been dreaming of this since I was a little girl, er, boy…" She chuckled a little and flipped her wrist. "...erm, whatever. Dressing up, walking into the ballroom with a date…" She faltered a little, and everybody kind of knew why. Then she smiled widely. "So maybe I won't go with a date, but going with you guys will be awesome." She grabbed Dean's hands. "High school memories. You need those. Please, please reconsider."

Gwen felt the need to intervene. Unique was getting a little too emotional about this. Gwen had never had dreams about going to the prom. It wasn't such a big deal in her hometown, but being here, she really wanted to be there. She wanted to experience as much as possible during her year in the States.

"Ianto has multiple suits. I'm sure we can find one that fits you." She gave Dean a once-over before she nodded. "Worse case scenario, Jack could always alter it. Right, Jack?"

Jack nodded vigorously. "Sure, sure. You have to come. If it's the money, we'll help you out." He nudged John, but John was not paying attention and startled a little. "What? Sure. Yeah, whatever you say."

The guy had been surprisingly quiet for a long time and it looked like he was in his own little world. As if he finally grasped what the others were talking about, he nodded as he turned to Dean. "Yes. We want you there, Dean" Then he got up from his chair and walked towards Unique standing a few feet away. "Will you go to the prom with me. I know I'm not your type, and I'm sorry to say that you're not my type either, but if you want a date for this, I will treat you as such, and give you the best prom a girl could wish for."

There had been moments where Unique had been at a loss of words, but she always managed to collect herself. This was not one of those times. She stared at John for the longest time before she lifted her hand and wiped a tear out of her eye. John went down on one knee and grabbed her hand. "I know that this was not what you were dreaming of, but I promise to make it memorable for you."

Gwen knew that if John wanted a date for prom, girls would stand in line to be the one. That he chose to ask Unique was quite surprising. When Unique finally got her ability to speak back, she looked at him through teary eyes. "Don't pity me. I don't need that." Her face turned hard as she pulled her hand out of John's grip.

John shook his head. "This is not pity. I want to go with you. I could find a date easily, but those shallow girls doesn't interest me. You are my friend, and I know that the two of us will have a good time even if we do not fancy each other that way. I could ask Gwen or Charlie or…" He threw his hand out. "...or Ianto for that matter, but I think… Please. You will not regret it."

Unique looked away for a second. "So this is not some kind of charity? Poor Unique will never get a date, so I sacrifice myself." She sighed and stared at John. He shook his head. "No. NO. Do I think that you will be asked by anybody else? No, I don't think so, I'm sorry, but it's the truth. Do I think you deserve to have an awesome prom? Yes I do. And I deserve it also. I want a date for this. We will go there as friends, and we will make headlines. We will be the most awesome couple at this prom, and nobody is going to forget us."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Castiel was little disappointed. He had hoped that Unique would invite him to the prom as her date, but now she was going with John. The news spread quickly, and it stirred the student mass greatly. It became clear that a lot of the girls at McKinley had dreamed about being asked to the prom by the guy.

That he had hooked up with Jack was a well kept secret. Their unspoken motto: 'What happens in Glee-club stays in Glee-club', had applied, so nobody outside their group knew anything about it. There were rumors that John had hooked up with a couple of the Cheerios girls, but nothing had been confirmed. All in all, he was looked at as a womanizer, so when it became known that he was taking Unique, people started talking.

Unique had told Cas what happened in the choir room that day, and it was easy for Castiel to understand why John wanted to go with her. "The girls are drooling over him, and he doesn't like it. Prom is special. He want to take a date that he knows he can be comfortable with. It's a win-win situation."

He could understand Unique's point of view. Going to the prom with one of the most eligible bachelors at the school was not something she had expected to do. "We know him. He will be the perfect date. He will be there for you, and he will not run away with somebody else. There's a lot of things to say about John, but I trust him to stick to his promise, and give you memorable prom."

They had spent way too much time analyzing John's intentions, and Cas wanted to talk about his own problems. "It's fine. It will be fine. Can I ask you something?"

Unique looked to be in her own little world for a moment, but then she looked up. "Sorry. I'm so sorry. I was thinking about asking you to the prom, but now I'm…" The smile she sported was not reaching her eyes. "I'm sorry. Ask away. Anything."

Cas drew his breath heavily. "I want to hang out with Dean, and I do not dare to ask him on a date, but we have this thing, erm, like a concert at our church, and I want him to come, but I don't know how, like I don't, I can't just ask him, can I?"

Totally out of breath he had to stop. Unique looked at him as she cocked her head to the side. "I'll come, and I'll ask if Dean wants to come with me." She shrugged. "He will know that I'm doing it for you, but so what? From what you've told me, he is into you, and he just needs a push in the right direction."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Wade, is it? I haven't heard that name since, erm forever." Dean stared at the guy who jumped into the passenger seat of the Impala. "It's not easy to wrap my head around this, but I understand that this is extraordinary circumstances."

Inviting Dean to the gig at Castiel's church had been a cakewalk. Unique had approached him and just asked straight out if he wanted to come, and Dean hadn't hesitated for a second. That the guy was very unfamiliar with the concept wasn't hard to understand, but he was all in regardless.

"I have barely ever set foot in a church, so you better tell me if I screw up." Dean pulled away from the curb as he turned briefly to look at Unique. She sighed. "It's not possible to screw up. It's just a concert, not mass. We go in, sit down, and just listen."

Dean wanted to sit in the back, so the two of them scooted into the pew closest to the entrance. Two choirs were performing; the youth choir that Castiel was in, and the senior choir for those over twenty-five.

The kids in the youth choir were wearing turquoise robes, while the older members wore black suits and dresses. Unique could see Castiel up there, but it was unlikely that he could spot them way in the back. Cas didn't even know that Dean was attending because Unique had decided to keep it a secret.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They started with a couple of hymns that Dean hadn't heard before. It sounded good, but he was in no position to really judge. When those were over, a young girl stepped forward before the pianist started to play a more familiar tune.

"_O beautiful for spacious skies,_

_For amber waves of grain,_

_For purple mountain majesties_

_Above the fruited plain."_

The girl stepped back again as the rest of the choir join in.

"_America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw,_

_Confirm thy soul in self-control,_

_Thy liberty in law."_

Dean almost felt like he had to stand up and salute as the choir sang the song. He had never heard it like this. Knowing that Castiel was standing there singing with them, made it all even more spectacular.

This was something else than New Directions. The basses and the baritones added a depth to the song that all those tenors couldn't. Everybody wanted to be a tenor, but Dean just realized that if they'd had a couple of guys being able to go this deep, they wouldn't have to worry about nationals. They would be a shoo in for sure.

"_America! America! May God thy gold refine_

_Till all success be nobleness,_

_And ev'ry gain divine."_

This was possibly the best choir he'd ever heard. Not that Dean had listened to a lot of choirs in his life, but he'd been to regionals and sectionals, and even if this wasn't the kind of music he normally chose, he was convinced. This was what a choir was supposed to sound like.

"_America! America! God shed his grace on thee,_

_And crown thy good with brotherhood,_

_From sea to shining sea."_

They did a couple of other songs that Dean had actually heard before, but he wasn't very familiar with them. After that, the suit and dress clad people started to walk away as a young man with a microphone stepped up in front of the youth choir.

"Thank you all for coming. I am happy that so many of you found time for this. I can see that there are some unfamiliar faces among you, and for those of you who are here for the first time, welcome to our church." He waved towards the older choir members. "Thank you to our senior choir who decided to participate. They will be back for the finale, but now we are going to hear what the youngsters have come up with."

As he walked to the side so he wouldn't block the view he continued. "This is a free concert, but we will ask for a donation so that we can keep up the good work with the kids and the teenagers in our congregation." He picked up a small bowl, and handed it to a person on the front row. "We'll send this around. It's totally voluntary."

As he walked away he gave the microphone to the same girl who sang the short solo on 'America the beautiful'.

The next part of the concert came as a surprise to Dean. The girl sang 'Time after time' by Cindy Loper backed up by the choir. After that they did an amazing rendition of 'Don't stop believing' by Journey and - the biggest surprise - 'You can't always get what you want', by The Rolling Stones.

Dean looked at Unique - or Wade as she was today - dumbfounded. "I didn't think this was even allowed in church. I'm just…" It was weird looking at the Wade character. This was how he - she - looked the first few weeks of school, but Dean didn't know her back then. She didn't seem to find it strange at all. "I'm not much of a church-goer myself anymore, but at my church we sang all kinds of stuff; no limit."

Suddenly, she punched Dean in the ribs and nodded towards the front. Castiel was holding the microphone and was standing in front of his choir.

"_Now I've heard there was a secret chord_

_That David played, and it pleased the Lord_

_But you don't really care for music, do you?"_

The guy sang so beautifully that Dean almost got a little emotional. Why hadn't Castiel competed for a lead in New Directions? He was definitely good enough. So he had sang a solo or two, but not with this kind of passion and soul.

"_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah"_

The choir backed him up nicely before he did the next verse.

"_Your faith was strong but you needed proof_

_You saw her bathing on the roof_

_Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you…"_

The senior choir walked slowly back on stage as he sang, and for the next chorus there were twice as many voices.

"_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah"_

Dean wasn't quite sure, but he could have sworn - maybe not in church - that it was more than a four-voice-harmony in there. Was it possible even, to have more than that?

"_...It doesn't matter which you heard_

_The holy or the broken Hallelujah."_

The thirty-five or forty singers up there almost lifted the roof when they came to the end of the song. Definitely four, possibly a six-part harmony. It was just totally awesome.

"_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah…"_


	32. New connections

Sam and Jo want to get together, but it's not so easy. John and Jack talk about Ianto, and maybe they come to an agreement. The car wash becomes a reality, and new connections ar made for prom.

* * *

**Song in this chapter**

**Car Wash - Rose Royce - M/L: Norman Whitfield **

That Dean sometimes ventured out on his own without any explanation was usually not a big problem. He didn't stay away for long, and in the meantime, Sam could catch up with friends online. If he needed to, he could always reach him on his phone regardless.

This time, when it really mattered, Sam was unable to get hold of his brother. Jo had texted him and asked if they could hang out, but he couldn't easily get out.

It was fucked up.

He had practically forced Dean to join Glee-Club just to get to know the girl. When he finally had a chance with her, he was screwed over by that same brother.

Calling him hadn't worked. Dean had obviously turned the phone off, or he'd forgot to charge it. Sam was thoroughly pissed off as he kept a 'facebook'-conversation with Jo going. He had gotten his driver's licence eventually - daddy had sent a check for his sixteenth birthday especially for that - but it didn't help much when he didn't have wheels.

Birthdays wasn't something they celebrated much in the family, so Sam had almost not expected to get anything. When the check arrived, he had offered to spend it on food, but Dean wouldn't hear it. Even if they were always short on money, they didn't starve, so Dean took him to the DMV and demanded that he take the test.

From Dean he got a promise that he could use the car every so often, but when he really needed it, it wasn't there.

"If you tell me where you live, I can pick you up." The next text from Jo was a little disturbing. It wasn't a secret that they lived in a crappy neighborhood, but he didn't want her to have to come there and see it for herself.

"How can you? You don't have..." He typed the words and then he checked a notification he'd gotten. "It's Joanna Beth Harvelle's birthday. Write a birthday wish on her timeline." He deleted the words that he'd just written and pondered on what to do. He should have checked earlier, but he was too pissed about his brother going AWOL.

How could it be possible to get out of this? He had failed to discover that the girl of his dreams was turning sixteen today, and he had no excuse. "I'm still here, just have to use the restroom. Be back in a minute."

Sam needed time to think. Not only had he not found out beforehand, but he had no money to get the girl a gift. He couldn't possibly meet up with her today. If he wanted to hang out with her, he should at least have something to give her.

Sam sifted through their belongings as he looked at the watch. How long could he pretend to be in the bathroom? In Dean's stash he found a black T-shirt with a big smiley on the front. He knew for sure that this was something Dean would never wear, and he wondered where it came from. It still had a tag on, and even if it would be a little too big for Jo, Sam decided to take it.

When he came back to the computer there was a new message from the girl. "Okay. Need a br brk myself. BTW, got my licence today, so… and they let me borrow the car."

He could walk to the small strip mall a few blocks away and meet up with her there. Sam was still worrying about where his brother was, but decided to not give a shit. "I'm sorry. I failed to notice that it is your birthday today. Forgive me. If you still want to hang out, we can, but you have to pick me up."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack got surprised when he received a text from John that he was on his way over. He'd thought that both John and Ianto were shying away from him now.

It was with mixed feelings that he opened the door. If John was there to get seconds it wouldn't happen. He was alone in the house, so he led John into the living room so that he wouldn't get any ideas.

"What can I get you? I could possibly find some wine or beer, but I prefer it if you settle for something non-alcoholic." He watched as John got comfortable on the couch. "I don't need anything. A glass of water is sufficient."

Jack shrugged as he turned around to go to the kitchen. "I have some freshly brewed iced tea if you want." He was about to pick a couple of glasses out of the cupboard when John replied. "Iced tea sounds great."

This was a bit awkward. Jack wasn't sure what to do after he'd served John the drink. He didn't want to join him on the couch, so he slumped down on the piano chair at the other end of the room.

John took a sip and panned the room. "Nice. It's a nice house." He took another sip before he drew his breath heavily. "Ianto is in love with you, and I know that you're gonna break his heart if you get the chance." The calm and collected voice didn't really fit the message. "He is my friend, and I love him, so if you could just let him down easy, I would appreciate it."

The guy seemed as cool as a cucumber as he uttered the words, but Jack understood that this was affecting John more than he wanted to show.

"I don't have to do any such thing. I never got it on with the guy. Why would I have to explain myself? Why would I have to explain myself to you?" Jack felt a little offended. So what if he flirted left and right? John didn't come to ask him to stay away from Gwen or Cas or any of the other guys he'd thrown a thing or two at.

They stared at each other for a moment before John looked away. "Because I know you want him, but you're going to leave in a couple of months, and you're not going to look back. You are going to break his heart whether you want to or not. I just want you to walk away. Tell him that you're not interested, even if you have to lie."

Jack knew that John was speaking the truth, but he didn't want to admit to it. "That's just stupid. I'm not in the habit of breaking hearts. I understand what you're saying, but that's not me." He took a sip from his glass. "Ianto knows that I'm leaving, and he knows that I won't be coming back here. If he doesn't want to get his heart broken, he should just shy away from me. He is not my responsibility."

John sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. "You are not that ignorant. I know you care about him, so why can't you just make sure that he doesn't get the wrong idea?" He shook his head before he met Jack's eyes again. "You are a decent guy. I'm pretty sure that you're not going to con him into something he doesn't want, but if you love him, let him go."

It made sense. Jack didn't want to make Ianto unhappy, and he knew that could be the result if he didn't follow John's advice. He wished that things could have been different and that he had more time. If Ianto had been a bit older, they could have gone to New York together and see how it went. Surprised by his own thoughts he had to turn away from John. He didn't want the guy to see the doubt on his face.

He realized that he wanted Ianto in every way possible, and it scared him a little. Going to New York, being free as a bird, was the only scenario he had seen for himself up until now.

"What? Are you going to say something, or are the apple trees in the yard more important to you than the happiness of our mutual friend?" John had gotten up from the couch and was now standing in the middle of the floor.

Jack stopped staring out the window and turned slowly to face the guy. "I understand, and I will take your advice into consideration. Mind you. I still think this is non of your business, but I know that you are just looking out for a friend." He drew his breath. "By the way. Can we be civil about this and pretend to be mates for the remainder of the school year?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sober and in a totally unfamiliar environment, Dean couldn't come up with much to say when they met up with Castiel after the concert. Cas didn't really have much time to chat anyway, but he thanked them for coming before the rest of his choir whisked him away for a private celebration after the successful performance.

Waiting around was not an option; they had no idea if Cas would be gone for long, so Dean and Unique just left.

It had been a nice experience, but Dean didn't know if it would change anything between him and Cas. It wasn't like they really hung out, and would definitely not count as a date.

He didn't know what he'd expected, but he'd hoped that Castiel would be thrilled about him showing up, and maybe say something clever about it; maybe give him a hidden message of some sort.

Dean hesitantly realized that nothing would happen between them unless he stepped up to the plate himself. How that was going to happen without a good amount of alcohol in his bloodstream would be something to ponder on, but he was pretty sure he was running out of time if he postponed it any longer.

In the choir room the next day, Dean wanted to tell Cas what he thought about the concert just as a means to actually start a real conversation with the guy, but the didn't get a chance. He was late as usual, and had to hurry to get seated, as Sam Evans made a short speech preparing them for the upcoming event.

He noticed that his brother was standing by the door, smiling at Jo. Something was going on between the two of them, but Sam hadn't shared anything about it so far. Dean threw a peek at the girl and got a little bit of a surprise. That t-shirt looked strangely familiar. He could have sworn that he'd seen that exact shirt in his own drawer only two days ago. Jo was practically swimming in it.

If his brother for some odd reason had lent her the shirt, it was perfectly okay with Dean. Even if he'd never get it back it was fine. He wouldn't wear it in a million years, and he wasn't especially proud of how it came to his possession anyway, so he was really happy about getting rid of it.

About two years ago, he'd been so pissed at his dad for not giving him money to buy new clothes and had ran out in a rage. He'd gone to a department store, determined to get something regardless. The first and only actual crime he had ever committed landed him with that ghastly shirt. He was so embarrassed afterwards that he'd kept it just to remind himself about never to venture out on that path again.

He looked at Jo again. It didn't look so bad anymore. It actually suited her fine. Her t-shirt could of course have nothing to do with him. Maybe Jo owned the exact same shirt? That it was a few sizes too big could probably be explained.

The others were talking about the car wash, and Dean suddenly realized that Mr Evans was addressing him. "Did you talk to your boss, Dean?" Dean needed a moment to adjust, but he had the answer ready. "Sure, yeah. He said it was okay, but asked if we could hand out fliers for his shop."

That wasn't a problem for anybody in there. "He even said that if this accumulated more customers for him, he'd chip in some cash to our cause."

After making a quite elaborate schedule for the the next few weeks of rehearsals, they divided the chores regarding the fundraiser. John and the Winchesters had to set up the car wash, while Gwen, Jane and Unique took care of the 'beauty-salon' bit.

They wouldn't have much time to socialize during the next few weeks, but Dean knew that there could be a few spare moments where he could possibly get a chance to talk to Cas if he just dared.

"That movie will have to wait until this is over, right?" Castiel nudged him as they walked out of the choir room a couple of hours later. This was Dean's chance to say something that would make the guy understand that he was interested, but again he chickened out. "Sure. Later. Definitely."

He could have beat himself up for being so evasive, and he could see that Cas looked a little disappointed. With everybody else around, Dean wasn't going to explain himself, but then Castiel grabbed his hand and shook it. After a split second of hesitation Cas leaned in and whispered: "It's a date then, right? When this is over, no matter how it goes, we will spend some time together alone." Dean was still holding Castiel's hand, and he squeezed it quickly before he smiled and nodded.

That was it. Everybody was pushing to get out, and they were forced apart by the crowd.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_Working at the car wash _

_Working at the car wash, yeah _

_Come on and sing it with me, car wash _

_Sing it with the feeling now, car wash yeah…"_

Dean seemed to have the day of his life as he sang loudly along with the background music. He shut up during the verse as he jokingly splashed water on a couple of the other choir members. None of them were overly amused, but Dean's enthusiasm was contagious so he got a crooked smile from Ianto.

The girls had refused to partake in the car wash event. "Girls in skimpy outfits getting wet is so yesterday's news." Gwen had Jane, Madison and Charlie on her side as she delivered the statement. "We have our own little thing going, so the boys have to step up for that."

"_At the car wash, woooh _

_Talking about the car wash, yeah _

_Come on y'all and sing it for me _

_Car wash, woh, car wash yeah…"_

John didn't see any problems with it, but he hadn't expected Dean to embrace the idea so wholeheartedly. He had to admit that the guy looked extremely hot in his skinny jeans and soaked tank-top.

After the decision was made, John contacted all his mother's friends and asked them to show up. It had worked wonders. For the first hour, they had cleaned four Beamers, two Mercs, and a Lexus. They charged $5, but all of the forty-something women had tipped them as well. Dean even got twenty dollars extra from one of them.

"_Hey, get your car washed today _

_Be in our band, you don't have to pay _

_Come on and give us a play."_

In between the luxury cars, they had a few other customers, and it was soon decided that Dean and Jack should take care of the ladies.

One reason for Dean's good mood could have to do with what happened in the locker room the other day. Beiste had found out about the video of Dean, and he was not happy. That the rest of the guys were mocking Dean for his participation in Glee-club didn't go unpunished.

The two guys behind the little film were forced to take part in the car wash business without getting payed. The big burly lineman and the slimmer, but tall, running back showed up in their football gear - helmets and all - and seemed to be on good terms with Dean regardless of their little prank.

Some of the clients actually wanted to have their car washed by them, and they too got tipped handsomely. They didn't get to keep the tip either, and Ianto, being in charge of the money, made sure they handed everything to him. He was too self-conscious to stand there soaking wet in a t-shirt. "I'm too flabby to do that." He's whispered to John when they planned the whole thing. John did not agree, Ianto was just as fit, or unfit as the rest of them, but they needed a money-man, and Ianto was good with numbers.

"_Car wash_

_Talking about the car wash yeah_

_Car wash yeah_

_Come on y'all and sing it with me_

_Car wash_

_Sing it with feeling…"_

Ianto wasn't the only one who had second thought about this. Castiel and Kevin weren't too eager to get wet either. The solution was to put them at the end of the line, and dry the cars off. The whole thing had been scrambled together in record time, and it looked to be a great success.

"_Wowowoh _

_Those cars never seem to stop coming _

_Keeps those rags and machines coming _

_Let me tell you it's always cool…"_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Some of the girls were sitting inside the garage watching the boys. They had their own client-list, and they were talking about how to divide the chores. Keeping a keen eye on the lineman, Unique nudged Gwen as she leaned over to whisper into her ear. "I need a favor."

Jo was not happy. "I thought Sam was gonna be here. And I don't know nothin' about makeup. Not a lot anyway." Gwen wanted to comfort the girl, but she was eager to know what Unique needed help with. "I'm sure he'll show up, go ask Dean."

Reluctantly, Jo got up from her seat, but Dean was playing with the hose, so she turned back. "I don't want to get hosed down, he's out of control." She sat back down. She must have spotted the slightly disgruntled expression on Unique's face. "Did you want to get rid of me? Do you two have a secret?"

Unique shook her head vigorously. "No, no. Hey. I agree with you. You can see it too, Gwen. Dean is a little out of control. You think something happened. I mean, he… I don't know."

The little smile on her face told Gwen that she probably knew something, but she was obviously not going to share any information with Jo around. "Come on Jo. Let's go and talk to him. If he acts up, I'll give him a piece of my mind." Gwen grabbed Jo's arm and pulled her outside.

Fate struck, and as they were approaching Dean, Sam pulled up in the Impala. Jo ripped herself loose and ran over to the car, waving Gwen away.

"So. What do you need, and why is is a secret?" Gwen slumped down next to Unique as she asked. "Oh. It's not a secret per se, but Jo and Sam are... you know. She'll tell Sam and Sam will taunt his brother and…" Gwen didn't really need the long winded explanation. "Get to the point please."

Unique cleared her throat. "Well, could you ask Castiel to the prom?" She continued before Gwen got a chance to reply. "I was gonna ask him, but John… Cas is disappointed, and I, erm, I'm sure Dean wants him to come, but he's never going to ask him himself. You see my problem?"

Gwen cocked her head and stared at Dean as she addressed Unique. "Is that why Dean is so, so, so not Dean? Did something happen between the two of them?" It took a moment before she got an answer. Unique exhaled audibly before she drew her breath. "Well, no, er, yes. Not really, but there is no doubt that the two of them like each other a lot. They are both too chicken to do anything about it. Well. Dean is the chicken. Castiel is just naturally shy."

Castiel was not as shy as some people thought. Gwen had realized that a while ago, but in this case, she kind of agreed with Unique.

Dean had pulled off his soaking wet tank-top, and was leaning on the hood of the Impala talking to his brother and Jo. Gwen had never really looked at the guy thoroughly, but now she whistled quietly as she gave him a once over from afar. "You know. If we are all going together as a group anyway, one more wouldn't be a problem. I can ask him, but if you don't mind, I will tell him that he is free to go with Dean if the guy musters up the courage to ask."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It had been a blast. Castiel hadn't had so much fun in his life. That they had to call in the girls, was, at first, a little embarrassing, but it all worked out swimmingly.

His own part in this had been a little boring, but even if drying off cars wasn't the greatest job in the world, he felt like he was part of a team.

When it was all over - the last car driving away from the garage a few minutes before they closed - everybody joined in on a group hug. He wasn't anywhere near Dean. There were too many bodies separating them, but he met the guy's eyes through the crowd, and he could have sworn he got a wink.

It was something.

Ianto had counted the money. Even if it wouldn't cover all the costs, they had definitely chipped in on the budget. They didn't have the exact numbers for the nationals yet, but with what they could get from the beauty salon the girls were in charge of, they would be close.

They all agreed that they would try to squeeze a few more dollars out of their parents, and that would work for most of the guys. The only person in the choir that didn't have that option was Dean. Knowing that the guy had made enough tip to almost cover his own airfare, it would be tragic if he wouldn't be able to go.

The prom was another issue. Cas had really wanted to be there, but when John asked Unique and it looked like Dean wouldn't go anyway, he'd pushed it away. Maybe the two of them could do something together that evening instead? Cas had no idea what that could be, and he wasn't sure if he would dare to suggest it.

As they were tidying up and gathering their stuff, Gwen came up to him. "You really wanted to go to the prom, didn't you?" She gave him a bright smile as Cas wrung up the sponges and put them in a bag. "Well, sure, but it's not such a big deal. I get to do it next year." He tried to laugh it off, and hoped it sounded genuine.

"I was thinking maybe you and I, I mean… Do you want to be my date for the prom?" She blushed a little, but composed herself quickly. "We're friends, and Unique is so sorry that she couldn't take you. She didn't twist my arm or anything, and it's no bother to me. We are going as a group anyway."

It wasn't the most flattering invite he had heard, but Castiel understood perfectly. It was extremely tempting to take the offer even if Dean wouldn't be there. "I don't know. It would be fun, but you don't have to do this." Gwen nudged him gently with her shoulder. "I know, but it's really no problem. Mind you, if Dean asks you I will withdraw."

Castiel stopped what he was doing and looked at her. Did she really think that Dean would ever ask? Even if he was going to this event himself, he would never ask Cas to be his date. "Dean isn't even going, so that's out of the question. Will you let me think about it, or do you have someone else lined up?"

Gwen shook her head. "You're wrong. Dean is going. If I have to carry him there myself and push him through the door, he will be there." She gave him a crooked smile. "If he told you he wasn't, he's lying. John has already bought tickets for all of us, including Dean, and…" She lowered her voice. "I know that he doesn't have a lot of money, so we'll all chip in if he can't pay it back."

That was surprising news. Suddenly, Castiel didn't care if Gwen invited him out of pity. Dean would be there, and they would technically go together even if Cas would be Gwen's date for the evening. He tried not to sound too eager when he spoke again. "I mean, I have nothing better to do that night, so… It could be fun. Yeah, why not?"

Gwen patted his back. "Good boy. I'm not going to be a clingy date. I'll let you hang with Dean if that's what you want. Remember to not tell anyone. We don't want him to be discouraged from asking you himself."

It was kind of embarrassing to realize that Gwen understood why Castiel had a change of heart, but he tried to not let it show. He couldn't do anything about that regardless. "I think that will never happen, but thanks." It was okay if Gwen knew. So maybe the two of them weren't best friends or anything, but she seemed to have the best intentions, and he was pretty sure she'd keep the knowledge to herself.

Unique's part in this was a different story. He would have to have a serious conversation with her about sharing his secrets with others. Part of him was a little pissed, but he knew he would forgive her.


	33. Will you stay or will you go?

They get picked for nationals, and have to come up with the money to make it happen. Some of the guys are struggling more than others. John Winchester shows up, and the question about Sam's future creates a little drama. Ianto's suggestion could save the day.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Money - Pink Floyd - M/L: Roger Waters**

**Lift me - Madrugada ft. Ane Brun - L: F. Jacobsen, S. Høyem, M: Madrugada, M Monsen**

**Let's dance - David Bowie - M/L: David Bowie**

* * *

It had taken quite a while before the judges had made their decision, but finally the letter had arrived.

Mr Evans was holding it his hand, and he looked rather gloomy as he stared at the anticipating crowd in front of him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry to say that all the hard work you guys have put in this spring has…" He looked up for a moment. Dean was sitting in the back and could see all his friends as their heads slumped down in defeat.

"I apologize, but that is nothing compared to what you're in for from now on." Their director was unable to keep a straight face any longer. "You probably have to give up on everything else you wanted to do for the next few weeks. We got picked, and the tough schedule we planned are going to get a lot tougher."

It took a few seconds before his words sunk in. Dean wasn't even sure if he was happy about this anyway, so he held his breath for a moment as the thoughts of how he would cope with this settled in his mind.

Then all hell broke loose. Gwen, Madison and Garth ran up to mr Evans and attacked him with hugs. The whines and cheers could probably be heard far outside the choir room. John punched the air and muttered some inappropriate words, while a few students high-fived each other.

"I'm gonna set up a plan for rehearsals that will include workshops on the weekends." Sam Evans struggled to come out of the embraces as he spoke. "If you want this, there will be no excuses. Everybody has to step up."

With his work at the garage, it could be a problem, but Dean wasn't especially concerned about that. The money was a more pressing issue. If they were unable to raise the cash needed, he could probably not contribute from his own pocket.

"What about prom?" Unique was just as excited as the rest of the guys, but addressed an issue that mattered for some of them. "Don't have us work that weekend, please, please."

Sam nodded vigorously. "Sure, sure. That weekend is sacred. I will give you that." As soon as everybody had settled down somewhat, he started talking about the logistics of the next few weeks.

Dean didn't pay attention. He could practically see dollar-signs with wings flying away from him. John had told him that he'd bought prom tickets for everybody, and that Dean could pay him back anytime, but 'anytime' could so easily be 'never' if they didn't get a check from their dad pretty soon.

His brother needed new clothes - Dean could have sworn that the guy grew an inch every month. The Impala needed work, and even if Dean got a bit of free service at the garage, he had no money for parts. He didn't worry so much that his own jeans were falling apart, but he could use some new ones.

They had a roof over their heads, and they never had to go to bed hungry, but all these things that he had to cough up funds for were still out of reach.

The senior prom at the school wasn't an elaborate costly one, but it was still hard to take those $50 dollars out of their limited budget. Dean didn't want to do that to Sam. Sam had his own struggles. His brother couldn't even take Jo out for a cheap meal at McDonalds if he wanted to.

"_Money, get away_

_Get a good job with more pay and you're O.K._

_Money, it's a gas_

_Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash…"_

Dean looked up as the band started playing and Ianto sang along. He felt that they were mocking him, but realized that the impromptu performance had nothing to do with him.

"_Money, get back_

_I'm alright, Jack, keep your hands off of my stack."_

Ianto was really working it, and even if Dean wasn't too fond of Pink Floyd, he got a feel for the tune. He had no idea why they were doing this song, and regretted that he hadn't payed attention.

"_Money, it's a crime_

_Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie…"_

The explanation came from Mason. "I noticed the baffled stare. We were talking about raising money for Nationals, and Ianto just… he just, well…" The guy threw his hand out towards the band. "They followed his lead."

"_Money, so they say_

_Is the root of all evil today_

_But if you ask for a rise it's no surprise that they're giving none away."_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack wasn't happy at all. He'd hoped that John would take Ianto to the prom, but when that didn't happen, he counted on Gwen. When it became clear that she - for some reason - wouldn't take him either, Jack got a little disappointed.

It wasn't hard to discover that Ianto was just as bummed about it, and Jack really wanted to seize the opportunity. On the other hand, by doing so, he would do the exact opposite of what he'd sort of promised John.

Not that he cared much about John's feelings, but he knew that they guy had been way too accurate about Jack's intentions, and all things considered it would be cruel to lead Ianto on.

John had bought tickets for all the seniors in the choir, including their dates, but Jack had secretly purchased another one just in case.

He didn't have loads of money, but he was living cheap, and could afford to have the little back up plan.

When Gwen announced that everybody was invited for a meal at their house before the prom, it got even worse. Jack hoped that Ianto wouldn't even be there, but he didn't count on that.

Making up some lame excuse for not attending was always an option, but that didn't sit well with him at all.

"_lift me – lift me from the ground_

_and don't ever put me down – oh no_

_and don't pick a fight with me_

_just flip a coin my love – you've won."_

When Dean started singing - in a deeper voice than his usual - Jack suddenly remembered what they were there for in the first place

"_Love – slips her hand inside my hand_

_oh Love – slips her hand inside my hand_

_I don't care if you don't want me_

_I'm yours – I'm yours right now."_

Gwen did good accompanying Dean on the chorus before she sang a verse by herself.

"_Our years – are years well spent_

_we may never find out where they went – oh no_

_and I don't mean to fight with you_

_now all our troubles and all our struggles they are through."_

Everybody did the next chorus together and even if it was their first run-through of the song, it sounded pretty good. Jack had never heard it before, and he still wasn't sure if it would be right for the competition.

"_The wolf and the fox…"_

It was Ianto and Jane's turn. He started the verse alone and then she joined him as they sang through the rest of it. The song was nice enough, but it didn't really complement everybody's voices. It wasn't a song they could make much of a show about either. As they reached the end of it, Garth and Jo waited for the choir to fade out.

"_oh Love – slips her hand inside my hand_

_oh Love – slips her hand inside my hand…"_

The two of them did good, although it was pretty clear that the last line he had to sing didn't fit Garth's voice very well. It was way too deep for him, and he prevailed just barely.

"_I'm yours – I'm yours -right now."_

Jo did way better on her part when she repeated the words Garth had just sung.

"_I'm yours – I'm yours -right now."_

They all did okay, but Jack was a little pissed for not being chosen as any of the soloists on this song. Not that he thought it would matter. They wouldn't use it anyway. He was pretty sure about that.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean dropped out of the athletics team. Football was over, and he had seen no reason to learn another sport at the end of his high school career. He had tried out for basketball, but ended up on the bench.

He still used the weight room and the showers, and he did help Mr Beiste if he needed a hand, but their coach had been understanding. He knew very well what went on with the choir, and didn't mind.

Dean and a few of the guys from the football team had participated when Beiste had the tryouts for next season, but other than that, Dean had not been on the field for weeks.

Some of the guys were talking about what colleges they were going to go to in the fall. A few had gotten scholarships, while some of them were still waiting for answers from the different programs they had applied for.

Dean was not among them, He'd thrown in an application for the local community college, but he didn't think he'd go. Daddy John would probably pick him up, demanding that he partake in the various schemes he conjured up. It normally entailed working odd jobs for lousy pay until a chance presented itself.

It was okay. Dean had never looked at himself as a scholar; he was more concerned for his brother. Sam was smart, and should definitely get some kind of higher education. How that was going to work was a puzzle at the moment, but Dean was not prepared to give up on him.

If they could stay in Lima for another two years, giving Sam a chance to graduate, would be the best. Dean could try to get a full time job, and provide for his brother. If their dad could chip in a little bit of money, they could also get out of that rathole of a building they were living in now.

Dean knew it was a pipedream. After living on the road for so many years, he could get a little antsy getting stuck in one place. Lima was the only place he'd felt comfortable in, but he kind of knew that hanging around there without a real goal in life for himself could be tough. He would still do it for his brother if it was possible, but then again, he didn't even know if Sam wanted that.

In the back of his head, he knew that there was another reason for him to want to stick around. Ever since he first laid eyes on Castiel, he'd liked him. Now, the school year was almost over, and nothing had happened between them.

That they had a plan to hang out sometime in the near future, would probably not change much. Dean didn't want to beat about the bush anymore, but knew perfectly well that he would chicken out again and again. He needed more time. Going after a boy was scary enough in itself; rushing it was not an option. Anyway, if the two of them eventually dared to step it up, it would be devastating to have to leave shortly after.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Hey, guys!" Gwen was sifting through the sheet music they'd been handed as she addressed the rest of the choir. "You know… I'm leaving in a little more than a month. It will not be like for you. You will meet each other every so often, but I will be in little old UK, reminiscing about the good times with all of you."

Jo jumped out of her seat and sat down next to Gwen. She wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders. "You can come visit. We can…" Jo looked up and nodded towards the rest of them. "We can come visit. That would be so cool."

John scooted forward a bit. "Definitely. I would be there in a heartbeat." He smiled widely. "But why don't you just stay? Ianto can hide you in the basement, and we can have parties and, you know…"

Gwen looked up. "Yeah well. It's a possibility, but I have a few people back there that I miss profoundly, so... I have a job waiting for me, and a brand new flat." She cocked her head to the side staring dreamily at nothing in particular.

"A new flat? Are you not going to live with your folks?" Unique had suddenly become interested. "I mean, I thought, are you not going to school when you get back?"

With a heavy sigh Gwen turned her chair a little so she could see the guys behind her. "I will take some classes, but I'm so ready to move out, so I'm gonna take the job I'm offered." She smiled shyly. "Rhys asked me to move in with him, and promised to find a new place for us. His bachelor pad was not an option."

Everybody just stared at her. Ianto rolled his eyes, and it was easy to see that he knew about this beforehand. "But you said… You said that you weren't sure about him. You said you were on a break, and that you didn't know…" Jo had turned her chair a well, and was still holding on to Gwen's shoulder.

"I know. I know what I said, and I meant it when I left. I didn't want him to have to wait for me for a year. I didn't know what would happen." She shifted a little in her seat. "When he came here, I knew that I had been wrong. I love him, and I want to be with him."

Jack started clapping, and after a few seconds everybody was following his example while they cheered and whooped. "This is great. I'm so happy for you." Unique gave Gwen a big hug. "I really liked the guy even if he looked at me weird." She laughed. "I guess he'd never met a girl like me before, right?"

Gwen nodded as she gave Unique a wink. "Yeah, He was very curious, but I told him to treat you just like any other girl." She sighed again. "He thought you all were a little strange, but he liked the dynamics in here, and he was very understanding about why I couldn't be with him so much during that week."

When she lifted her hand and pointed at Jack, everybody followed her line of view. "You Jack, he didn't like so much, but I told him that even if you're a hottie, I would never fall for a guy like you." She giggled a little. "I told him that I had to play along so that the rest of the choir wouldn't understand that you had the hots for somebody else in here. I even told him who it was."

Everybody turned abruptly toward John, but he threw his hands out and shook his head vigorously. "NO! Not me!" He turned to Gwen. "Did you tell him that?"

Gwen was pretty sure that practically everybody knew who she was referring to. It was not John, but they didn't get a chance to talk about it anymore before Mr Evans was back after making more copies. "Okay guys. Are you ready for the next song I've picked?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Another old song that they had to dust the cobwebs off before they could get into it, was just what they needed. Jo was not happy. She had never really suggested a song other than the few she'd sang herself, but digging that deep into history shouldn't be unnecessary. Not only that. It could seem like Mr. Evans was trying his best not to choose American artists.

Jo wasn't picky; she listened to all kinds of music, but what she favored the most was the upbeat country &amp; western style. There were loads of artists with really good tunes in that genre, but Sam Evans was obviously oblivious to them.

(That was technically not true. Sam had had them sing several country songs over the school year.)

On this song, they were going to do one line each, while the choir sang 'Let's dance' in between. John had the solo, and Jo was pretty sure he got that spot because he's just bleached his hair and kind of looked like David Bowie from the eighties.

The dancing was easy; Even Ianto and Dean managed fine, but Jo felt that she didn't get to use her potential.

They had rehearsed this song a couple of times, and there had been made a few changes in the line-up. It didn't mean anything for her. Jo did the background chorus with the others before John stepped forward.

"_If you say run, I'll run with you_

_If you say hide, we'll hide_

_Because my love for you_

_Would break my heart in two…"_

Sam Evans waved his hands in the air, and the band stopped playing. John seemed a little confused. "Did I do anything wrong?" He looked at their director a little annoyed. "No, no. I just had an idea." Sam Evans pulled Jo out of the line and walked her over to Jack. "I think the two of you should dance together through the whole song. Yes, you will stop and sing occasionally, but I want…"

He rubbed his forehead for a moment. "I don't know what I want, but try this. Jo, Jack, you are good enough. Just dance."

They started the song all over again, and Jack led Jo around the floor.

"_If you should fall_

_Into my arms_

_And tremble like a flower."_

They paused as they joined the others in the chorus, but then Jack swept her away and swung her around. It was perfectly awesome. He was the best dance-partner she'd ever had, and she almost got a crush on him. Only almost. She knew the type, and she wasn't into those kind of guys. The fact that he was most certainly gay, was kind of a drawback as well.

"_Let's dance_

_put on your red shoes _

_and dance the blues_

_Let's dance_

_to the song _

_they're playin' on the radio."_

The song wasn't so bad anyway. It was upbeat and catchy; maybe it could work for the competition?

"_Let's sway."_

Jo knew that the other Sam was watching, and she tried not to look so comfortable in Jack's arms. She did worry that he would get a little jealous, and that would not be good.

"_Let's sway."_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sam watched as his girlfriend - was she really that? - danced around the floor with Jack. He had only eyes for her, and couldn't even tell if Jack was an especially good dancer. He probably was since Sam evans had picked him to do this.

"Who cares?" Jack could be the best dancer in the universe, and Sam would not care. That Jo got a chance to show off was way more important.

The choir had used the auditorium for most of their rehearsals lately, and it suited Sam fine. He could sneak in and watch them anytime without Jo or Dean knowing. Jo would probably suspect that he was there since he'd told her that he would come, but he tried to hide in the back.

A hard punch in the ribs made him gasp for breath. Before he got a chance to recuperate, a couple of arms wrapped around him in bear hug.

"Dad!" He whispered quite loudly, and was afraid that they could hear him on stage. He reciprocated the hug, but then he put a finger to his lips. "Shush. They are rehearsing. We have to be quiet."

John Winchester sat down next to him and nodded. "Sure. Sure."

They hadn't seen their dad for a few months, and in any other setting Sam would have given the guy a piece of his mind. He was happy that he actually dropped by, but he didn't really behave like a parent.

"A year in this godforsaken place, is that enough? Are you guys getting back on the road with me?"

Sam had hoped that he could stay here and graduate, but the words from his father told him that the man had different plans. "No. No way. I'm not going anywhere." They were both whispering as the choir got ready for another run-through of the song.

"I don't want to do this anymore. I want to graduate. Please let me stay." Sam felt that he was on the brink of crying, but braced himself. "I… Just please… I can do whatever you want me to do over the summer, but I want to go back here and get my diploma."

He wasn't whispering anymore, and even if the guys on stage probably didn't hear his words, they got aware of the fact that there were people in the back.

Sam got up and when his dad didn't move, he climbed over the back of his seat and walked out of the auditorium.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The drama that went on outside the school should have been a private affair. Ianto bumped into it by accident when he ran back to pick up his bag.

As he was about to cross the parking lot to get back to the car, he was suddenly in the middle of a family quarrel. Sam and Dean were arguing with a older guy that Ianto soon recognized as their dad.

"I can provide for him." It looked like Dean was ready to attack the guy as he spoke. "Don't do this to him, He deserves better."

Sam tried to calm his brother, but Ianto could see that his efforts were futile. "I'll go on the road with you, but Sam…" Ianto could have sworn that there was a tremble in Dean's voice. He didn't want to interfere, so he scooted along the wall to get to his own vehicle. At one point he had to pass pretty close to them anyway.

"He is not old enough to live by himself. I can't just leave him alone." Their father's voice had a bit of sadness to it as well. "Leave me with him then. I can take care of him." Dean sounded desperate.

Ianto knew quite a bit about the Winchesters. Gwen was the main source of the information, but some of it Dean had drunkenly revealed all by himself. It was a sad story. Without any approval from his own family, and with no knowledge of the whole story, Ianto took a few steps towards them. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't… I was unable to not hear what you are talking about." He tried to not look at the dad. "Sam. When Gwen leaves, we have a spare room. If you want to stay in Lima, we'll take you in for sure."

Getting an approval from his parents wouldn't be such a big deal. If he told them what he knew, they wouldn't hesitate.

The two brothers and their dad stared at Ianto for the longest time. He started to feel a little uncomfortable, but did his best to look confident. What if he'd got it all wrong? What if they had a backup plan?

What seemed like a lifetime, was probably just a few seconds. Dean was the first one to speak. "Really? You would really do that?" He turned back to his dad. "We can get the money so that he can stay. We can give Ianto's family some cash every month. Please. It's a good offer. Let him stay!"


	34. A prom around the corner

John is planning a secret after party. Gwen and the rest of the girls are planning the beauty-salon. Ianto and Dean are searching for an outfit for the latter. Gwen shows Castiel her dress, and after that Cas has a surprise encounter in the hall. Sam is driving Dean to the dinner at Ianto's house, and has a plan to meet up with Jo. Gwen is hungover, and Jack reminisce about being a freshman in high school.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**We are never ever getting back together - Taylor Swift - M/L: T. Swift, M. Martin, Shellback**

**What makes you beautiful - One Direction - M/L: Savan Kotecha**

* * *

There were rumors going around that John was going to have an after-party. How those rumors evolved was anybody's guess, but he himself denied it vigorously when he got attacked by a bunch of classmates after fourth period.

Jack, Mason and John were the only seniors left from the choir; everybody else had hurried out of there to get ready for tomorrow's event. The girls were having a get-together to organize the 'beauty-salon-fundraiser', and were long gone. Ianto had left with the Winchesters, and Jack saw his last opportunity to ask Ianto to the prom fly away with them.

As most of the students in school rushed out to catch the different school busses, the four of them hung back for a moment. With choir practice practically every day, they weren't used to walk out of there in big crowd.

"Hey. It's true." John leaned over and whispered to Jack and Mason. "I'm having a party, but don't tell anyone. I will pick the guests myself." Castiel was on the other side of him, and tried to look like he hadn't overheard it. "The two of you are obviously invited, and also the other ones from Glee club, but I'm gonna be very picky on who else I'm having over."

He turned briefly to Cas. "Are you going? It doesn't really matter, you can come anyway, but I don't know when we'll be there." Castiel nodded hesitantly. "I am. I am going. Thank you. I guess I'll come, I think."

Jack looked at him curiously, but didn't say anything. Castiel could have been invited by anyone, but he guessed that it was somebody from the choir. John was obviously just as surprised. "Did he invite you? Really? That's awesome. He dug up some money then." There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I know that Mr Winchester senior is here, so I guess he coughed some cash."

That was an unusually rude comment from John. Not that he couldn't be quite obnoxious from time to time, but that tone wasn't as humorous as usual. Jack was a little taken aback by it, but decided to keep his mouth shut and maybe confront John at a later time. "What? No. I'm going with, erm, Gwen." It was quite clear that Castiel got a little offended on Dean's behalf, but he managed to stay composed.

"Sorry! I'm sorry." John squeezed his eyes shut and scratched his forehead. "Don't tell anyone that I said that." He looked at the three others. "I'm just. My mother isn't always there, but she makes sure that I have everything I need." He rolled his eyes. "Well, sometimes I miss her profoundly, but…"

He sighed heavily. "I'm in no position to judge, but I feel sorry for Dean and Sam. They deserve to have a home. Even if their dad is on the road or whatever, he shouldn't just abandon them for weeks or months at the time." It could look like he was about to work himself up further, but then he just slumped his head down. "Not in that whore-house of a building anyway."

Jack agreed with him, and it was perfectly clear that Cas was on the same page as well. This was an issue that they all had been aware off, but it had been off limits to discuss. Not because they had made any joint decision about it. It was more the fact that nobody wanted to open up that can of worms.

"What's gonna happen when school's over?" John looked up and stared at the other three. "I know that Dean applied for college, but they can't live like that."

Jack didn't know what to say. He'd tried to live a dream in New York. It hadn't worked out so well, and most of the time he was broke, but he always knew that he could go back home to be pampered, and get an 'I told you so' from his parents.

"There's nothing we can do about it. Do you want to confront Mr Winchester and give him a piece of your mind?" Jack wished that they could do something, but he didn't see any fast solution to the dilemma; nothing they could solve standing there in the parking lot anyway.

"Well, erm, no." John waved his hands in the air in frustration. "Maybe Dean doesn't even want to stay here. He's eighteen, uh, nineteen and can do whatever he wants, but his brother is only sixteen, and has to do what his father tells him to do."

Castiel cleared his throat making all of them turn to him. He seemed to hold his breath for a moment before he finally spoke. "I don't think there is much we can do, except providing them with a real option." He paused for a second. "Whatever we can do to make it possible for them to stay regardless of their father's wishes, we should try."

They all nodded in agreement before John made a little speech. "Okay. I can talk to Dean and ask him directly. I mean… I, I'm not close with him or anything, so if he gets pissed off and doesn't want to speak to me ever again, I think I'll survive." He sighed. "I'm probably not going to be here next school year anyway, but I can't live with myself if I don't try to help them."

Jack wanted to applaud. He felt exactly the same. Even if he was going to leave Lima in a few weeks, he really wanted to help the Winchesters. He didn't really know Sam that well, but Dean was a good guy and he deserved a better life.

They parted with a promise to keep that particular conversation to themselves.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Everybody was done with their exams; it hadn't been easy to make time for studying in between everything else, but now there was only one thing on their minds. Well, for some there were two.

Prom night was coming up, and with Friday off from choir practice, the seniors and their dates were busy getting ready for the event.

Gwen had invited the girls over for a last minute pep-talk to make sure that everything was set for Saturday morning. They had been allowed to use the girl's locker room as a beauty salon, and had spent their free period that day to decorate it accordingly.

The client-list was long, and there wouldn't be much time to tidy up the place when they were done. Unique was going out to dinner with John and would be picked up directly from school; Gwen had to help out at home before the meal at the Jones' house, and would have to leave a little early.

Jane had a date and couldn't stay till the end either, and Madison was going to pick up Jack and her brother, so she worried she'd run out of time as well. Jo and Charlie promised to take care of everything after the seniors had left, and didn't mind that they were not going to prom.

They were all sitting in the basement chatting and laughing, and didn't hear the doorbell. Ianto's sister opened the door at the top of the stairs and had to shout to be heard over the chatter. "Hey. Did you expect another guest, or is this one for Ianto?" She practically pushed Castiel through the door to show them who she was talking about.

"Oh, yeah. He's for here. Ianto isn't even home yet, is he?" Gwen jumped up and waved for Cas to come downstairs. She cocked her head and looked at the other girls. "He's my date for the prom, and promised to help out at the salon tomorrow." She gave him a hug and gestured for him to sit down. "I've been told that he's pretty good with the color palette."

Castiel looked a little intimidated. "Well, I, I'm not that good, but if you need an extra pair of hands, I'll do my best." He sat down on the armrest of the couch. Unique scoffed. "He's a natural. I've taught him everything, and…" She fluttered her lashes. "I mean, he's done my make-up several times, and I'm extremely picky."

The dynamics in the room change a bit with a boy amongst them. They had been joking around, sharing a few secrets, while laughing hysterically in between. With Cas sitting there, they immediately tried to get down to business and be more serious.

It lasted only so long. A half hour later later, with a little bit of wine under their belts, they had forgotten all about the salon, and were just fooling around again. Charlie and Cas did try to get them back on track, but both Unique and Gwen were confident that they were all set anyway.

"_We are never ever ever getting back together,_

_We are never ever ever getting back together,"_

Suddenly Gwen started singing along with the song that was on. It took only seconds before a couple of the others followed her lead.

"_Like, ever..._

_I'm really gonna miss you picking fights_

_And me falling for it screaming that I'm right_

_And you would hide away and find your peace of mind_

_With some indie record that's much cooler than mine."_

That Castiel didn't participate didn't seem to bother them. When they reached the next chorus Jo got up and pointed at him.

"_We are never, ever, ever getting back together_

_We are never, ever, ever getting back together_

_You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me (talk to me)_

_But we are never ever ever ever getting back together."_

Cas just shook his head. He did try to look sad, but the little smile tugging his lips told them that he was enjoying himself.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was okay to bring Ianto to the apartment. He'd been there before and knew what kind of place this was. Dean had to dig deep into his drawer to find a tie, and he wasn't sure it the one good shirt he owned would work either.

Ianto looked a little repulsed by the selection, but seemed to be doing his best to keep a straight face. "It'll be fine. Take the black one. It goes with anything." He pointed at the leather tie in Dean's hand. "Leather? Isn't it a bit, you know… you sure?" Dean had hoped to find something more classy; he had a few after his father, but he decided to listen to his friend.

"But not with that shirt. Don't you have anything else?" Ianto threw his hands out and rolled his eyes. "We don't want it to look like you're going to a funeral. A little color won't hurt."

They were both going back to Ianto's house later to pick a suit for Dean. They had already found out that except for being a little tight over the shoulders, any jacket would fit. The pants were a different story, but Ianto had decided that worst case scenario, Dean could wear black jeans.

"Yeah, but none of my jeans are back. A couple of them were at one time, but now they are worn and faded." He did pick out a pair to show his friend. Ianto shrugged. "No problem. We can dye them if we need to."

Dean liked Ianto's solution-oriented demeanor, although he wasn't sure that all of his solutions would fly. They only had a little more than a day to get ready, and without a dryer, Dean couldn't just soak his pants and expect to put them on the next evening.

As if he'd read his thought's, Ianto ripped the jeans out of Dean's hands. "Don't worry. Bring them. We can do it at our house if we need to." He gestured for Dean to hurry up. "I'm positive we can find a shirt in my closet that will fit you, but if not, take the one you have."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They ended the little get together in the basement before it was too late. The girls had to get up early the next morning, and didn't want to be too tired. Mr Evans was going to meet them at nine thirty to let them in, so most of them were out of there before ten to make sure they got their beauty-sleep, to use Unique's words.

Unique, Jane, and Madison had been very careful with the wine, and Charlie didn't drink any. Jo was more than a little tipsy, but she was going to spend the night and didn't have to drive home anyway. She fell asleep on the couch while Castiel helped Gwen tidying up a bit, and Gwen didn't even bother to wake her. After making sure that the girl was comfortable and thoroughly tucked in, they left her alone down there.

"You want to see my dress?" Gwen asked as Castiel was on his way towards the front door. "I mean, I, it's pretty, erm, pretty pretty." Cas shook his head and smiled. Gwen had not just been sipping the wine. She was drunk. "I thought I wasn't supposed to see it until tomorrow? Isn't that, I don't know." He shrugged.

"Oh no. It doesn't matter. That's if we were getting married. And anyway…" She stumbled a little in her own feet as she with a little flick of the wrist pointed a finger at Cas. "It's not a real date. I'm just taking you there so you can hook up with Dean. Please let me show you my dress."

Castiel didn't even bother to comment on that. He was happy that Gwen tried, but he had told himself not to expect anything. More importantly, he didn't have to get up that early in the morning, so it didn't matter for him if he stayed a little longer. He was concerned about Gwen though, and decided to comply just to wind her down a little.

The room wasn't that small, but the furniture in there didn't give them much space. Gwen's bed was a few sizes too big for it, and the dresser was a monstrosity. Castiel had to stand in the doorway to give Gwen a chance to move in there. "Ta-daa!" She held up the dress with a firm grip on the clothes hanger.

It wasn't that big poofy thing he'd pictured. The dress was sleek and formfitting with a little flair from the knees down. The sequined spaghetti straps crossed over each other on the back, and it wasn't hard to understand - even if it was on a hanger - that it was cut in a way that would reveal Gwen's skin almost to the buttcrack.

It was midnight blue, but Cas knew that beforehand. "I would have wanted to have a black one, but…" Gwen exhaled audibly as she tried to put it back on the little hook behind the door. "Rhiannon told me that it wasn't appropriate."

Castiel wanted to laugh. Any black dress would have been more appropriate than this. He wasn't even sure if Gwen would be allowed into the dancehall tomorrow night. "Yeah. Well. And she thought this one was okay?"

Gwen looked at him sideways, still struggling to hang it up. "Didn't you… don't you like it?" Finally, she managed to get it on the hook. "It wasn't cheap you know." The little wink told him that she wasn't perfectly truthful about the cost.

"I love it. It's gorgeous." Cas really meant it, but he wasn't sure if his opinion would matter when the chaperones saw Gwen in it. "It's very revealing. I mean… I don't know what to say." Another thing was that his cheap hand-me-down tux wouldn't give the dress much justice.

"Honestly. I didn't pay anything. I borrowed it from one of my friends back in the old country. I only had to pay for the shipping." Gwen giggled loudly. "Fuck, I'm drunk. It's going to be a rough morning."

Castiel didn't doubt that for a second. "I better go. Get to bed. Sleep it off. I know you're a trooper, so I'm sure you'll be fine." As he backed away, a door opened further down the hall. He could hear subtle music trickling out, but didn't pay much attention.

"Cas? What the….uh, sorry, what are you doing here?" Hearing Dean's voice was so unexpected that Castiel for a moment thought he was just imagining it. Gwen had obviously not heard it because as soon as Castiel got out of the way, she just slammed the door to her room shut.

"I, I, I…" He realized that keeping it a secret that he would be Gwen's date for the prom was unnecessary at this point. "I'm just having a little talk with my prom date. What are you doing here?"

Dean didn't answer the question. "You're going, erm, I mean you're going to be at the prom? That's awesome. I was…" Dean cleared his throat. "I'm going too. I needed to borrow a suit." He gestured behind him. "We were just listening to some music, but Ianto fell asleep so…"

Either there were nobody else home in the house, or they had all gone to bed already. The faint music from Ianto's room - that Cas could actually hear now when he knew about it - was the only sound in the whole house.

The two of them tiptoed down the stairs and headed for the door without uttering a word. Castiel put on his shoes and opened the front door quietly before he and Dean snuck out into the night.

"See you tomorrow then." Dean stopped on the sidewalk as he looked up and down the street. "Do you have a ride, or…" Cas wanted to say no, but he knew he had to take the car back. His dad was going to need it in the morning. "Sure, but I had to park all the way over there." He pointed towards the corner of the street.

"Oh, okay. See you." Maybe he was just imagining it, but Cas thought there was a little hint of disappointment in Dean's voice. "Yeah. Take care. Have safe ride home." He didn't want to just walk away, but Dean didn't do or say anything that could have made him wait.

Cas walked to his car and got in. When he took a u-turn to get out of the street, he noticed that Dean was still standing outside the house watching him leave. If he hadn't been such a chicken… The chance had gone, but they would hang out for hours tomorrow, so it was all good.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_You're insecure,_

_Don't know what for,_

_You're turning heads when you walk through the door,_

_Don't need…"_

Gwen reached her hand out to turn of the alarm, effectively choking Liam mid sentence. It was way too early to get up. She passed out pretty quickly, but it didn't take long before the alarm went off again.

"_You're insecure,_

_Don't know what for,_

_You're turning heads when you walk through the door,_

_Don't need make-up, to cover up,_

_Being the way that you are is enough."_

She suddenly remembered what day it was, and she knew she had to try to get up. This was not her favorite One Direction song, and that's why she chose it as her alarm. This time she let it play.

"_Baby you light up my world like nobody else,_

_The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,_

_But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell,_

_You don't know, oh oh,_

_You don't know you're beautiful,"_

The headache wasn't that bad, but she could feel that when she moved her head or any other body part, she wanted to puke. It was a little unusual, but she didn't normally drink that much wine, so it was probably the reason.

"_You don't know, oh oh,_

_You don't know you're beautiful, oh oh,_

_That's what makes you beautiful_

_So come on, you got it wrong,_

_To prove I'm right, I put it in a song…"_

Suddenly the alarm stopped by itself, but Gwen knew it would start again in about nine minutes. She reached out for the phone and turned the alarm off.

The first couple of hours of their 'fundraiser-salon', Gwen was struggling not to vomit on the clients. The other girls knew that she's had a little too much last night, and they teased her a bit. "I told you so." Unique was not forgiving, and demanded that Gwen did her part regardless.

During a very short break, Jo presented some homemade rolls with ham and cheese. Gwen was repulsed by them at first, but decided to take a chance. She hadn't actually puked yet, but she warned them as they sat down for the quick meal, "It's gonna come back the same way it went in."

It didn't happen. The small roll and close to a gallon of water had cured her, and she soon back to her old self. "Never again. I don't want to see a wine bottle ever again." White wine would, from now on definitely be off the list of drinks she could tolerate. "We'll see." The dry comment from Jane didn't require a reply, but Gwen stuck her tongue out to her before she gave her a crooked smile. "Okay. Maybe not forever, but for now."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Are you just gonna leave your old dad alone?" John Winchester sat on the couch seemingly watching TV when he suddenly turned to Sam. Sam was getting ready to take Dean to the dinner at Ianto's house. He knew that Jo was at school tidying up after the 'beauty-salon' thing, and he had planned to go there to meet her as soon as Dean was dropped off.

"I, erm, I didn't really think about it. We made these plans before you came." Dean had already left the apartment and was waiting for Sam in the car. "I just wanted to spend some time with you boys, but Dean is so busy with everything. You are not going to prom, are you?"

Sam shook his head. "No, but I promised to meet a friend." He was stressing a little. Dean was going to take off without him if he didn't hurry, and that would leave him without a car for the evening.

"Some of my friends are helping out at the venue, and I promised to come over to drive them home." The little white lie didn't bother him so much. It wasn't too far from the truth. His dad turned back to the television and nodded. "Okay, okay. So you won't stay out late? Maybe we can do something fun together when you get back?"

He and Jo hadn't really made any plans for the evening. They were going to meet up, but what would happen next had never been discussed. Sam was hoping that Jo would invite him over to her house, because he couldn't possibly take her here. "Sure, Maybe. Sorry, I just have to go."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Back in the days, when he started high school, Jack had made big plans for his senior prom. When he dropped out of school to pursue his dream of being a Broadway actor, those plans had been tossed out the window.

As he was waiting for Mason and Madison to pick him up he remembered how he'd pictured it to be. Back then he was still too insecure about his own sexuality to even think about taking a guy to the prom, but he had been quite certain that the girl by his side would be one of the most popular girls in school.

This prom didn't fit that old dream at all.

He knew that there were plenty of girls at McKinley that would do anything to hang on his arm for this, but there was only one person he really wanted to invite, and he was off limits.

Jack didn't even know why he was so attracted to Ianto. The guy was no Broadway material; he wasn't even a little bit glamorous, but still, he had something.

Ianto was honest and kind. Nobody could deny that he was quite handsome as well, but it still didn't explain that Jack felt that he was falling head over heels for the guy. Maybe there was such a thing as soulmates? Maybe he and Ianto were supposed to be together in spite of everything that actually pulled them away from each other?

Jack knew perfectly well that love was fleeting, and he was not superstitious, but could it still be that some people were just made for each other?

What if he just told Ianto how he felt? What if there was a possibility that the two of them could make an arrangement that would work? If they could wait a year, and then…

It made no sense. Jack was adamant about not letting anything hold him back. He was going to make it big, and a teenager in Ohio was not going to change that. He could take another heartbreak as long as it was his own heart. He couldn't bear the thought of breaking Ianto's heart. John had been so spot on that it was almost a little scary. His biggest secret was not so much a secret anymore when somebody else knew how he felt.


	35. and didn't you wish you had a prom date?

The dinner party at Ianto's house is a success. Everybody enjoys the prom, but the unexpected guest has an encounter in the restroom that could change a few things. John gets a surprise.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Get this party started - Pink - M/L: Linda Perry**

**When I need you - Leo Sayer - M/L: Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager**

* * *

"_I got lot of style, check my gold diamond rings_

_I can go for miles if you know what I mean_

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started…"_

As they were waiting, Dean's Impala came slowly towards where they were standing. It stopped in the middle of the road, and Dean jumped out before he waved at the driver. It wasn't easy to see the, but they assumed it was his brother.

"_Boulevard is freakin' as I'm comin' up fast_

_I'll be burnin' rubber, you'll be kissin' my ass_

_Pull up to the bumper, get out of the car…"_

Dean practically skipped over. "Hey, are you ready for a party?" He stopped short for a second. "Is this music coming from there?" He pointed at the house they were going to enter shortly. "I was hoping that Ianto would get to pick."

"_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started_

_I'm comin' up so you better get this party started_

_Get this party started."_

He laughed a little and grabbed Madison's arm as she came up next to him. "No problem. Come on, let's do this."

They didn't get a chance to press the bell before the door opened. "Welcome." A firm lady in her fifties greeted them. "I'm so sorry, but we have a little bit of a delay, but please step inside."

A couple of kids were running around in there and the woman that they all knew as Ianto's sister was trying to get them to calm down. "Sorry." She repeated her mother's word. "We should have been out of here by now, but you know…"

Jack didn't know. He didn't care much either. He knew that a lot of people lived in this house, but he hadn't given much thought to the logistics that Ianto's family had to deal with to make this happen. "No worries. We are grateful to be invited." Jack decided to speak for them all. He was the first one through the door, so he took it upon himself.

One of the kids stopped and stared at them for a moment. "We are going to a reserant, and I will be propretif…" He turned to look at his mother. "What?" Rhiannon was struggling to put shoes on the little one. "Yes. You will behave properly."

At that very moment, Ianto came down the stair, and Jack got suddenly a little distracted. Knowing that the guy was not going to prom was kind of sad, especially since he was dressed for it.

Jack had made all the arrangements necessary to be able to take him - the ticket he had in his pocket had Ianto's name on it, but Jack couldn't do it. He flipped around and grabbed Madison's hand. "Please, do me a favor."

The girl got a little thrown. "I. What? Not now. We have…" Jack lifted his hands. It will only take a second. Please."

Madison sighed, but stayed put in the hall as she let Dean and Mason pass her. "What?" She sounded annoyed, but Jack didn't let it get to him. "Can you take Ianto to the prom. I have his ticket, but I can't ask him myself."

Madison looked at him with a curious stare. "Uh? It's too late. If he wasn't invited… uh? You have his ticket? Why? If nobody invited him, how come he has a ticket?"

Jack drew his breath heavily. "I wanted to invite him, but a friend advised me not to. I agree with him, but Ianto is the only one in here that doesn't get to go, and I feel bad for him."

It wasn't hard to understand that Madison had heard the same rumors as everybody else in the choir. She cocked her head. "That's it then. I'm going to take him there as my date, and you're gonna keep your paws off him. Is that right?" She threw a peek over Jack's shoulder and the way she reacted told him that they were running out of time. "You know that I like him, but I can't take him because I don't want him to get the wrong idea."

Jack knew that he only had seconds left to explain himself. "I'm leaving soon, and I don't want him to think I'll be waiting for him. I just want him to come, and I will keep my paws off." He practically growled. He needed an answer fast.

"Okay. I'll do it. And you don't want him to know that you bought the ticket. Right?" She ripped the piece of paper out of Jack's hand. "But you need therapy. I don't know what's wrong with you, but if you love him, you should reevaluate your plans for the future."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The kids and their parents had left; Ianto's dad had withdrawn to the basement, while Ianto's mother was tending to the food and the guests. The living room furniture had been shifted around a little to make room for the big dining table. "Didn't want you to have to eat in the kitchen." The woman smiled as she pushed a recliner further away to make make more room.

Dean wouldn't have cared, but he could see the point. He he took a sip out of the glass with sparkling wine he'd been handed when he came in. So maybe this wasn't the most classy dinner he could think of, but they had made a real effort. Dean definitely didn't need classy anyway. He hadn't been in this house a lot, but he'd always liked it here. It was a home, a real home, and he envied Ianto a little bit.

Castiel wasn't there yet, and Dean was a little disappointed. Gwen was still upstairs, and Ianto whispered something about her wanting to make an entrance as soon as everybody was settled. It was technically her party, so they all understood.

Someone had turned down the music somewhat to make it possible to have a conversation. Katy Perry was 'roaring' softly in the background as they waited. "You are all so handsome in your best suits, I can't understand why you guys don't have a date for this." Ianto's mother was standing in the doorway to the kitchen smiling brightly, ready to pour more bubbly into the glasses if they were empty.

Dean just looked down. He didn't need a date. Knowing that Castiel would be there was more than enough for him. "We wanted to go together as a group, Glee club is still a little…" Mason didn't get to finish the sentence because Jack interrupted. "Mrs Jones, I'm sorry Mason. Ma'am. We would rather come here than to go out to a restaurant with some random girl. This is the people we want to spend time with. It's a pity that Ianto can't go as well."

Madison hadn't said much since they entered, but now she took a couple of steps forward, and patted Jack's arm. "But he can." She looked over at Ianto before she took a breath and walked over to him. "Do you want to come as my date?" Before Ianto got a chance to say anything she continued. "It was a last minute decision, but I have a ticket for you."

Dean couldn't hear his answer, but he could see the smile on his face and the little nod he gave Madison. The rest of them got no time to react because something was happening upstairs. Dean's first thought was that Castiel hadn't arrived yet, and it would be sad if he wasn't there for Gwen's appearance. The next thought got stuck somewhat when Cas came down the stairs. His black - or was it blue - tux looked great on him.

Seconds later, Gwen emerged at the top of the stairs in the most fabulous dress. It was dark, dark blue with a little bit of sparkle on the straps. Her usually fair skin had a nice tan that could not have been acquired by laying in the sun, but Dean didn't ponder on that much. Her corsage was in different shades of blue; the ribbon and a couple of small rosebuds had the exact same color as her dress.

When she came all the way down, she grabbed Castiel's arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. The two of them was so perfectly color-coordinated that it was uncanny. The suit was blue, it was easy to see in the light down there. It was a few shades darker than Gwen's dress, and his blue shirt was a little lighter, It could look like his tie was made of the exact same material as the dress, and his boutonniere - it was a word Dean had never thought he'd find the use for - consisted of two small blue rosebuds with a ribbon of the same color.

"I got a spray tan." Gwen twirled around making a few of them choke on their drinks. Dean held his breath for a second. He really liked the dress, but the cut… Jack looked like he had swallowed a hot potato, and Madison's eyes seemed to be about to pop out of her head. She was the first one to say something though. "Er, that's not gonna fly. That dress, I mean it's gorgeous, but...it's illegal."

Gwen huffed. "Yeah, I kind of know that, so I'm going to have to cover up somewhat. I have a nice little jacket, but I just wanted you guys to see it as it is."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Apart from a few mentions of John's secret party and a small argument about the dress code at the prom, the conversation around the table had mainly focused on the upcoming competition. Ianto was supposed to help his mother in the kitchen, but when he suddenly got invited to the prom, she demanded that he should sit with the others. Without any assistance, she managed to cook the food and serve them all by herself.

It was perfectly normal for her to cook for a crowd, but she usually never had to go any further than to put the pots on the table and let everybody serve themselves. For this meal, she made every plate, and she made them all look like a piece of art.

The dessert was just consumed when the doorbell rang. Ianto jumped out of his seat, but he wasn't fast enough. His mother was already at the door greeting John. "They are almost ready. Do you want to come inside?"

John shook his head. "No thanks Ma'am, My date is waiting in the car." Turned to Ianto, he continued. "Just take your time, we're early."

The dinner guests got up from their chairs, and a couple of them started to clear the table before the lady of the house stopped them. "No. Get ready, I have the whole evening to do this." She practically pushed Madison and Castiel away. Gwen had already been upstairs to get her jacket. It was a short sleeved bolero tailcoat in the same fabric as the dress. it was obviously not meant to be buttoned, so her corsage was still visible, but it covered up her back nicely.

John looked a bit surprised when Ianto came out as well. "Did he, erm, did… are you Jack's date?" Ianto knew why his friend was concerned. "No, I'm Madison's date. I know it is a 'pity-date' but I'm fine with that. She just didn't want me to be the only one at the house that couldn't go."

As they stood in line to enter the stretched limo, Madison tugged on Ianto's sleeve. "Hey, I, I can be your date, no problem, but Jack bought this ticket. He didn't want me to tell you, but..." She was whispering, and nobody else could hear what she said. "What?" Ianto almost tripped as he flipped around to look at the girl.

"He bought it and entered your name, and then he asked me to take you. Nobody else is supposed to know, and you weren't supposed to know either." She stepped into the car without uttering another word.

Ianto had still not managed to digest the information as he walked through the door of the ballroom - technically, the gym - with Madison on his arm. The drive had been short, and nobody seemed to have noticed that he didn't partake in the conversation in the limo.

Each table was supposed to seat eight people, so with one extra, it got a little cramped. It didn't matter. During the whole evening, there were only a couple of occasion where they were all seated anyway. The first time was during Mr Schuester's welcoming speech, and after that they danced and mingled with other students. Ianto was pretty much the only one who stayed put for the most part. He was no dancer, and he also felt a little bit like he had crashed the party.

Just before the main event - the crowning of the king and queen - he left the table to use the restroom.

Who else but Jack was in there at the time? Ianto wasn't sure if he should withdraw, but he really needed to pee.

Not confident enough to use the urinals with Jack in there, he entered one of the stalls. Jack had not left when he came out, but Ianto tried to act normal as he went over to wash his hands.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gwen and Castiel had practically been dancing all evening, They were both pretty good, and when they didn't dance with each other, somebody else swept them up. Every so often they had taken a short break to get a drink or to use the restroom. Dean had barely had a chance to talk to any of them, but he wasn't bothered by it.

For a while, he'd hung out with some of the guys from the athletics team. They were still teasing him, but it was in a friendly way. If they had really known what was going on in his mind they would probably get quite shocked, and the bantering could have taken a different turn. Dean wasn't bothered by that either. Not that he was ready to reveal anything; he wasn't sure if he was ready to embrace it himself, but the school year was almost over, and he didn't have to deal with them anymore.

As they announced the crowning would take place shortly, Gwen slumped down on the seat next to him. "My god. I'm exhausted, but it's fun." She kicked her shoes off and wiggled her toes. "That was divine."

Dean looked at the shoes and could perfectly well understand. He couldn't have walked a step in shoes like that, and Gwen had more or less been dancing for almost two hours. "You're a trooper, Gwen. I don't know how you girls can do it."

Gwen shrugged. "Long and hard training." She giggled a little. "Oh, oh. Did Ianto tell you?" She waved her hands before she grabbed Dean's sleeve. He had no idea what she was talking about. "Er, no, I don't know. What?"

She leaned over a little. "If Sam wants to stay in Lima, he can have my room. My aunt and uncle said it was okay. Ianto tried to explain to me what it was all about, but I was too busy to pay attention. What is it all about?"

Dean didn't want to talk about it at this point. It would be too difficult to explain with all the commotion around. "Sam wants to graduate at McKinley, but he can't stay in the apartment we have now. He's a minor, and, well, you know...I can explain later."

That did obviously not work for Gwen. "But you're not a minor. Can't he live with you? You have taken care of him for a year, why can't you do it for two more?" She threw her hands out. "Are you going to leave Lima?"

Dean felt really uncomfortable. He didn't want to go into that right now. "No, I don't know. I have no money, so I will probably have to work with my dad, but can we talk about this some other time?" He looked at Gwen and it was perfectly clear that she was not ready to let this go. As she was about to open her mouth, Castiel came up behind her. "Here. Your drink." He handed her a water bottle before he sat down next to her.

"Oh, you're a dear. Thank you. Let us switch seats, I'm sure you want to sit with Dean." She leaned down to get her shoes before she practically pushed Cas away and sat down on his chair. "Come on sweetie. Sit here. She patted the chair between her and Dean as the stage got prepared to reveal the king and queen.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack was in a pickle. He was trying to heed John's words, but he couldn't help himself. For the first time in a long time, he was alone with Ianto, but he didn't know how long it would last. He could vaguely hear the leader of the crowning committee, and he knew that most of the student's were getting seated for the crowning.

When Ianto was done washing his hands, he headed straight for the door, but Jack blocked his escape. "Sorry, I just, er, can we talk for a minute?" He put his hand on Ianto's forearm, and when the guy didn't pull away, Jack squeezed it gently.

Ianto didn't look at him; his eyes seemed to focus on Jack's hand instead. "What about? Erm, thank you for the ticket. Madison told me that it was…" When Jack lifted his other hand and let it fingers brush gently over Ianto's cheek, Ianto stopped talking. "I wish thing were different. I would have wanted to get to know you. I'm sorry I've been such a jerk." Jack meant it wholeheartedly.

Finally Ianto eyes met his. He shook his head. "You haven't. You've just been, er, you." He sighed. "Everybody loves you, Jack. That you can be a little annoying at times, doesn't change that." Ianto emitted a little chuckle. "They want to be with you. They want to be... you. I'm sure you will make it. I'm sure you'll be famous. You have it, the it."

Jack barely managed to comprehend what Ianto was saying. The only thing he wanted to do at the moment was to kiss the guy. Even if it would be the only kiss he'd get he contemplated on taking the chance.

And there it was. How and why and what happened could not be explained, but suddenly the two of them were in a tight embrace, kissing each other violently. Hands were all over, and their bodies rubbed together. Ianto was a little clumsy, but it didn't matter. He was possibly a virgin.

When Jack brushed his hand over Ianto's crotch, the guy froze up and pulled away. Jack hurried to keep his hands to himself. "I'm sorry. I, we, I shouldn't have… I don't know what happened. This is crazy." He knew that they someone could walk in on them at any time. "Ianto, I'm leaving soon. This is pointless anyway."

Ianto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "No. This is not pointless. I want this. I don't know how and when, but…" He faltered a little, and Jack could see that he was blushing. "I'm in love with you, and I know that you're leaving, but I want it anyway."

Jack got hit by the door as Unique came storming in. It was probably just luck that she didn't enter a minute ago. "What is taking so long? We missed you at the table, come on." The look on her face was not a happy one, and pretty much gave Jack the evil eye. He knew for sure that if anybody got wind of what happened in the restroom, he would be the scapegoat. He agreed. Whatever Ianto had said, it was still Jack who had behaved like a jerk.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Only one student from Glee club was nominated, and the whole choir had voted for him. John didn't expect to win anyway. He had pretty much abandoned the friends he'd made during the first three years of high school, so he didn't think he'd get many votes.

The most popular Cheerio, Lettie Humboldt, was probably a shoo in. She lived in John's neighborhood and was from an old Lima family. Quite rich, but a very nice and down to earth girl. John and her had been regarded as an item in middle school, but she didn't like that John was flirting with her cousin Jamie when he came visiting.

The two of them broke up, but stayed friends. However, for the last year they hadn't really been in touch much.

The quarterback from the football team was the best bet for that title as prom king. He did really well on the basketball team as well, and if the students wanted to elect someone with a good score, he would definitely be it. That the guy was born and bred in Lima, and that he was Lettie's current boyfriend, could probably help.

Jane and her date had come over to their table. They squeezed in nicely because a couple were missing. John looked around for Jack and Ianto, and got a little stressed when he couldn't see them. He leaned over to Unique and asked if she knew where they were.

Before she got a chance to say anything, Dean nodded towards the restrooms. "Ianto needed to go. Jack was dancing last time I saw him, but that was ages ago." Dean shrugged. "Maybe they are…" John didn't let Dean finish the sentence. "I'm going to get Ianto. If he went to the restroom before we got here, he'd been there an awfully long time."

Unique pushed him back in his seat. "I'm going. You are nominated. You stay put." She squeezed past him and took off.

Less than a minute later, Unique came back with Ianto in tow. Jack was walking behind them, and John knew from looking at them that something had happened. He wasn't able to read their expressions perfectly, but he was pretty sure that Jack had not heeded the agreement the two of them had made.

Jane moved to sit on her boyfriend's lap to make room for Jack, and Gwen got out of her seat so Ianto could sit before she sat down on his thigh.

"A Cheerio since freshman year. A lifelong Lima resident. The Prom Queen Lettie Humboldt." Scarlet, as John had know her as, ran up to the stage, and it wasn't hard to see that she was happy, but not particularly surprised. "Her king is also a long time Lima resident, and as far as we know, a former boyfriend. Let's hear it for John Hart."

The applause wasn't as loud as it had been for Lettie, but from his Glee club friends he got wild cheers. In his sophomore year, John did have a dream about this, but it had faded with the knowledge that his friends only liked him for his money. As he slowly walked towards the stage, he wondered if he was elected for his money or for his personality.

Lettie hugged him hard when he came up there. "I didn't expect... but this is good. Let's do this together."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Most of their speech was not something you'd put in a history book. John and the girl, Lettie, was giggling though most of it, but they managed to give thanks to those who had voted for them. That John hadn't prepared anything was not a surprise. He had not expected that he would have to.

At the end, Miss Humboldt managed to collect herself. "Sorry. I'm so sorry. I did prepare a speech, but this guy, this awesome guy, threw me off." She took John's hand. "We are humbled. Standing here with crowns on our heads, we are truly grateful for your support. The Cheerios and New Directions will cherish this. It's a team effort."

She gestured for her teammates to get up before she turned to the Glee-club table. "Come on, stand up. Let's hear it for the two best clubs at our school."

The descended the stage and prepared for their dance.

"_When I need you_

_I just close my eyes and I'm with you_

_And all that I so want to give you_

_it's only a heartbeat away."_

The two of them were using the whole floor dancing to the song, Everybody let them have an appropriate amount of time on their own before a few couples joined in.

"_Miles and miles of empty space in between us_

_A telephone can't take the place of your smile_

_But you know I won't be traveling forever_

_It's cold out but hold out and do like I do."_

Castiel raised from his seat and turned to Gwen. "May I have this dance?" He smiled widely as Gwen got up from Ianto's lap. She took his hand and they walked out on the dancefloor.

Cas wanted to dance with Dean, but he didn't dare to ask. He wasn't sure if Dean would have said yes anyway, Not only was he not a particularly good dancer, but most of his teammates were there, and Cas didn't want to embarrass him.

"_When I need love_

_I hold out my hands and I touch love_

_I never knew there was so much love_

_keeping me warm night and day."_


	36. Fever

Party time at John's house. Ianto and Jack are pining. Dean and Castiel are working around the difficulties. Sing along with a few oldies. Gwen has a minor concern.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**New York, New York - Frank Sinatra - M: John Kander, L: Fred Ebb**

**Dream a little dream of me - multiple recordings - M: F. Andre, W. Schwand, L: Gus Kahn**

**Fever - Peggy Lee (among others) - M/L: Eddie Cooley, Otis Blackwell**

* * *

The prom was really over. Hanging around to see the stragglers trying to make more out of it was just boring. Dean knew that John was having a party, and that they would go there in the limo he'd rented for the whole night, but their host was procrastinating.

Most all of the guys from Glee was already outside, but Dean was still in there because he knew that Cas was in the restroom. He didn't want the guy to be left behind if John suddenly decided that it was time to go,

Castiel was done and didn't even look over as he hurried to get to the door. Dean got a little disappointed, but Cas probably expected everybody to be outside waiting for him. It was okay. He'd had a nice time at this prom. The chatter around the table had flown easily, and even if Dean didn't get to talk with Cas alone, they had participated in the same conversation, and shared a few looks.

"Let's go." John was obviously done with whatever he was doing and he slapped Dean's back as he passed him. "I just needed to get the guest-list sorted."

Their own party of nine entered the limo. Jane and her date would follow in his car, and the few others John had invited, would also come in separate vehicles.

John waved at the driver of the stretched town car before he started to usher people into it. Dean hung back a little. He didn't want to have to choose where to sit, and would settle for what was available in the end. The drive would be too short for it to matter much anyway.

They didn't manage to drink the champagne John served in the car before they reached their destination, but they did try. Gwen received some friendly teasing because she'd obviously said something about not drinking wine anymore after a severe hangover that morning. "Champagne doesn't count. It's totally different." She laughed as she toasted with the guys closest to her.

Dean lifted his glass towards her, but his eyes were focused elsewhere. Castiel looked away briefly as he took a small sip out of his glass before turned back and smiled clandestinely.

It was hard to interpret what that meant, but Dean returned the smile before he hurried to focus on Gwen again. She was making a short speech, just as the limo turned into John's street. "Fellow New Directioners, friends,'" she nodded towards Ianto, "family. I have so little time, and I will miss you all so much, and..." John interrupted. "You have no time. We're here." He was about to reach for the door handle when Gwen grabbed his arm. "I'll make it brief. I just wanted to say that this year has been the best. I love you all, and I hope that you will find the time, erm, and the money to come visit me."

John shook his head and rolled his eyes. The driver opened the door from the outside and stepped aside to let them out. Gwen was about to continue, but then Ianto shushed her. "You can do it inside. Wait until we're inside for Christ sake."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A row of small hanging lanterns lit up the walkway to the house. "You really went out of your way for us." Unique tapped her finger on one of them so it swayed a little. John chuckled. "That's not me. That's my mom. She is having a party as well."

John led them inside, and as she stepped through the door, Unique could hear soft music coming from the livingroom. "We're just going through. but I have to introduce you to my mom first." John lifted his hand. "We have to wait for the rest of our party."

Jane and her date were right behind them, and a few minutes later, the prom queen and her boyfriend were inside as well.

"John, you're here! I didn't hear you come in, I'm so sorry. Are these your friends?" The woman that came towards them absolutely gorgeous. She had an aura of confidence about her and she did not look like she was old enough to have a eighteen year old son.

She shook everybody's hand before she and John walked together towards the living room with the rest of them in tow. Unique didn't really count, but there was close to twenty people in the room. Most of them look like they had stepped out of a fashion catalogue. Without the proper funds, Unique had to buy her clothes at department stores, but she knew haute couture when she saw it.

John's tailored tux fit perfectly into the party, but most of the guys from the prom had store bought clothes, and they kind of stuck out. The prom queen and her boyfriend didn't look totally out of place; Ianto's suit could probably pass, but it was really only Gwen, in her gorgeous dress, that looked like she could belong.

"We're going to the guesthouse." John walked straight through the room, and waved for them to follow.

Unique didn't remember the building from last time she was there. It had been too dark outside to see anything but the edge of the tarp that covered the pool.

Tonight, there were lights on in there, and the pool was also lit up by underwater lights.

The house wasn't big, but it was definitely big enough for their party. The couch was humongous, and could easily seat ten people. The little bar had two stools, and in the small kitchenette there were a couple of folding chairs.

The room was a about as wide as the pool, but it was only like a little more than ten feet across. "The bathroom is through the bedroom." John pointed at a door next to the kitchen counter. Unique nodded to herself as she took a quick walk around. "Filthy rich." She uttered the words to herself as she assessed it.

"But it's amazing, isn't it?" Gwen was suddenly at her side and Unique realized that she had said the words out loud. "Oh. I didn't really…" It was pointless to try to excuse herself. She could see that Gwen agreed.

John was opening the sliding doors facing the pool. They took up more than half of the wall, so when they were fully pulled away, the room extended to the water's edge. "If anybody wants a dip, we have plenty of swimsuits available." He walked over to the bar and leaned on it. "And if anybody wants a drink, we have, erm, whatever."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They could see over to the house. It was less than 25 feet away. Jack knew perfectly well that everybody in there could see them as well. It didn't look like anybody there were watching, but he was aware that John's mother would be capable of keeping an eye on them.

It didn't matter so much. She had okayed this, and she knew they would be drinking, so he assumed that she trusted her son well enough to take care of his guests. Jack didn't worry about it. He had other things on his mind.

He wouldn't get a chance to be alone with Ianto at this party. Jack knew that it wouldn't be a good idea anyway, but he really wanted to. Ianto's words in the restroom had made hunger for more, but he wasn't sure if he should do anything about it.

Graduation was a little more than a week away, and he'd promised his parents that he'd come home as soon as school was over. Rachel had offered him a small part in a new production she was planning in the fall, and he had taken it, so he would go to New York in July to prepare for the task.

It wasn't what he dreamed of, but it was a start. Being a part of Miss Berry's show could easily lead to something, and he treasured everything she did to help him get a foot into the business. Rachel had previously offered to help him get into NYADA, but Jack wasn't interested. Another few years at school wouldn't help. He was ready to go to work as soon as possible.

Ianto's offer was still very tempting, but Jack knew he had to let him go. It was a sad realization, but he didn't want to hurt the guy more than he had to. "If you love him, you have to let him go." John's words was haunting him as he leaned on the bar watching the Welchman sitting on the edge of his seat in a heated discussion with Castiel about something Jack couldn't hear. Jack knew it was the right decision. He had to let Ianto go.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean felt more comfortable approaching Castiel in this setting. He knew that both Gwen and Unique supported a relationship between them. He was also pretty sure that John and Jack didn't have a problem with it. Ianto and Jane wasn't appalled by it either, and the few guests that he didn't know very well didn't concern him much. The twins were a little dodgy on the matter, but Dean was pretty sure that they knew just as much as the rest of the guys in the choir.

If he managed to muster up the courage to walk over there, nobody would hold it against him.

He was hanging at the little bar with Jack. John was on the other side of the counter handing out drinks and seemed excited about it. "It's the first time she let me do this. My mom is concerned about us drowning. She wouldn't let me have a party by the pool before."

He rolled his eyes. "Not so. She didn't want me to have a party at the pool at night." John huffed as he handed another beer to the quarterback. "She allowed me to invite you all for a daytime pool party, but we never had time for it."

John lifted the bottle of Jack Daniels. "Another one?" Dean wasn't drunk, but he wasn't sure he should have another. "No, not now." He turned and looked over at the couch where Castiel was sitting. The guy was obviously arguing with Ianto about something. "No thanks. I'll wait."

Knowing that Jack had been targeting Ianto for a while, Dean decided to drag the guy into his scheme. He pointed over to the quarrelling couple. "Let's go and split them up. I don't know what they are arguing about, but I really need to talk to Cas."

Jack didn't react the way Dean had expected. "Erm. No. I'm fine. They are probably talking about religion, and I'm not… I, pfft, I can always create a distraction if you want to pull Cas away." He took a sip out of his drink, and bobbed his head from side to side. "John. I need some music."

John widened his eyes. "Sure. I kind of forgot to turn on the sound system. We can't play it very loud, but… oh, wait a second." He ran into the bedroom, and after a little less than a minute he came out with a box that kind of looked like a speaker with a screen on top. "I have a karaoke thingy. Let's try it."

He plugged it in and handed Jack the attached microphone. "There's not many songs to choose from here, but I'm sure… try this." Jack chuckled a little before he stepped forward as far as the cord would let him.

"_Start spreading the news_

_I am leaving today_

_I want to be a part of it_

_New York, New York."_

Everybody turned around and looked at Jack. The little karaoke machine didn't really manage to fill the room with music, but Jack's voice definitely got the attention of the audience. Dean tried to catch Castiel's eyes, but even if the argument he had with Ianto ended quite abruptly, he didn't even throw a peek in Dean's direction.

"_I want to wake up in a city_

_That doesn't sleep_

_And find I'm king of the hill_

_Top of the heap."_

Dean was pretty sure that Jack meant every word, but he wasn't particularly interested. This was meant to be a diversion so that Dean could get a hold of Cas, but Cas was staring at Jack as he and Ianto sang along.

"_If I can make it there_

_I'll make it anywhere_

_It's up to you_

_New York, New York_

_New York, New York."_

Everybody were on their feet now creating a chorus line in front of the couch, Jane tried to choreograph the kicks and turns, but failed horribly when nobody payed attention. Dean scooted backwards until he ended out at the edge of the pool. They were all focusing on Jack, and Castiel was singing along and didn't seem to notice that Dean was outside. Dean decided to give it up for the time being. He couldn't compete with Jack.

"_These little town blues_

_They have all melted away_

_I am about to make a brand new start of it_

_Right there in old New York."_

Dean saw how the others were practically fighting over who would go next. Maybe he should have had that drink anyway? That old crappy karaoke machine had it's little renaissance in there. In spite of the diversion going horribly wrong, Dean had to chuckle a little. He remembered when these things were popular. Sam had wanted one, but it lasted only so long before the internet took over and made them obsolete.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The only thing Ianto was thinking about was how and when he could be alone with Jack. He wasn't interested in a hurried encounter in the bushes, and he knew that the two of them couldn't easily get away from the party for an extended period without raising suspicion, so he kind of knew it had to wait.

Ianto didn't know if Jack really wanted anything to happen between them. Well technically he knew. It had been easy to notice that the guy got aroused during the little make-out session in the restroom, but Jack had hesitated as he explained that he was leaving soon.

For Ianto it was simple. When he finally had dared admit that he was in love with the guy, he just wanted to let him be his first. So maybe they would never meet again, but Ianto wanted that memory. If that would be all he could get, it would be sad, but he was willing to take that chance.

Jack had been very clear about his goals in life, and he was already planning for his Broadway career. Ianto wasn't stupid. One night with Jack would probably not do anything to change the guy's plans, but Ianto was ready and willing to sacrifice his own virginity to try.

It wasn't like he didn't want Jack to make it big, but being in love made everything so difficult. Ianto almost wished that Jack would postpone his own dream just to wait for Ianto to finish high school. It was never going to happen, but if he could just stir him a little; make him yearn for more, It was a possibility that Jack would come visit at least.

Ianto had no unreasonable faith in his own power to change Jack; he knew perfectly well that he was clinging to a futile wish, but he couldn't help himself. Bottom line was really that if he couldn't be with him, he wanted to be with him one single time. It was better than nothing.

"_Stars shining bright above you_

_Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"_

_Birds singing in a sycamore tree_

_Dream a little dream of me."_

Gwen had obviously won the contest on who would go next. Standing there in that dress, the song suited her very well. Ianto didn't hang on to the sight very long, he was more interested in where Jack was.

"_Stars fading but I linger on dear_

_Still craving your kiss_

_I'm longing to linger till dawn dear_

_Just saying this."_

Unique and Jane were looking at the few discs of songs that John had to the karaoke machine. John was still tending the bar, while the rest of the crowd were either slumped down on the couch with Ianto or standing next to it singing along with Gwen. Jack was nowhere to be seen.

_Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you_

_Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you_

_But in your dreams whatever they be_

_Dream a little dream of me_

Ianto tried to get out of there. Eventually he had to crawl over the backrest. He was pretty sure Jack was in the restroom, and he wanted to catch him alone. He didn't make it. As he straightened his suit after the little climb, Jack came out and joined Unique and Jane without looking in Ianto's direction. It was a bit sad, but not completely discouraging.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you_

_Sweet dreams that leave all worries far behind you."_

Gwen was good, but Castiel decided to sneak away as the other applauded, and he hoped she wouldn't notice, or at least not take it personally. He walked up to the bar. John was standing with a few others who were busy trying to decide on the next song. He must have seen that Cas was approaching because he came over immediately and asked if he wanted something to drink.

"Can I have a beer, please?" Castiel leaned over the bar to see what else John had to offer. John picked a beer out of the mini fridge. "One beer coming up. I thought you didn't like it." He twisted it open and put it on the counter. "Well, it's not…" Cas was about to say that it wasn't for him, but he changed his mind. "It's not so bad, but give me a, a… do you have any champagne to chase it with."

John rolled his eyes. "You have terrible taste, but whatever. It's not champagne per se, but it's a nice Californian sparkling wine. Will that do?" He looked at Castiel with a serious face as he held up the bottle. Castiel didn't even know the difference, and must have looked rather dumbfounded. John's face cracked up in a bright smile. "If it looks like champagne and it quacks like champagne…" He poured the wine into a glass and handed it to Cas before he - as he chuckled a little - went back to Jack, Unique and Jane.

Castiel was probably supposed to feel like an idiot, but he let the friendly insult slide. Thinking about it, he kind of knew that to be called champagne it had to come from that district in France. That John decided to taunt him a little about it didn't bother him.

He slipped out without anybody noticing. Jane and Unique had a friendly fight over the microphone, while a lot of the others were snapping their fingers to the beat of the new song they had put on. As he walked over to the poolside he could hear that Unique won that competition.

"_Never know how much I love you_

_Never know how much I care_

_When you put your arms around me_

_I get a fever that's so hard to bear."_

_D_ean was standing a little bit away from the light inside, and Cas wondered if he was deliberately trying to hide. "I brought you a beer." He lifted the bottle as he approached. "If you want to stay out here alone, I'll leave you to it, but isn't it better with some company?"

"_Sun lights up the day time_

_Moon lights up the night."_

They could both hear the music from inside and Cas was pretty sure that that nobody in there could hear him. "Let's toast at least." He lifted his glass as Dean took the beer. "I didn't want to get drunk, so I decided to take a stroll." Dean took a small sip. "Thank you though."

"_Fever in the mornin'_

_A fever all through the night."_

Jane and Unique was obviously sharing the microphone. The two of them managed to harmonize and it sounded good. Not that Cas cared so much. "That's okay. I don't want to get drunk either." He stepped into the shade with Dean and moved his hand so their drinks clunked together. "Cheers!"

"_Romeo loved Juliet_

_Juliet she felt the same_

_When he put his arms around her_

_He said, "Julie baby you're my flame"_

_Thou giveth fever, when we kisseth…"_

They both started giggling as they listened to the song. Jane and Unique continued, but Dean obviously got hung up on that last line. "Thou giveth fever, when we kisseth." He repeated the words somberly, but didn't manage to keep completely straight face as he lifted his hand and stoke Castiel's cheek.

_"Fever when he holds me tight"_

_"Fever, I'm his misses"_

_"Daddy won't you treat him right?"_

Castiel was not able to hear who was singing the next lines. His ears got filled with white noise, and he could feel that his knees were about to turn into jelly. He vaguely realized that Dean was trying to catch his eyes, but it was a little hard to focus.

"_They give you fever when you kiss them_

_Fever if you live and learn_

_Fever till you sizzle_

_What a lovely way to burn."_

As the song was fading out, Dean licked his lips. Castiel wanted to be ready, but he was scared. He knew what was coming, and he knew that he wanted it, but the way his body reacted from mere anticipation was a little embarrassing. When Dean wrapped his arms around him and let their lips meet, Cas wasn't sure what to do, but somehow he managed to reciprocate. Dean's tongue prodded at his lips, and he willingly let it in.

The wine got spilled out on the tiles, but he managed to hold on to the glass. Dean pulled away for a second, before their mouths melted together in a deep and languid kiss.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gwen knew perfectly well that she would regret this. She never used to get hungover before, but she hadn't really been drinking that much in her life. A couple of beers at the local pub the few times the bartender failed to check her ID, and a sometimes sharing a wine bottle with Rhys when she was allowed to spend the night was pretty much it before she came to the US.

She turned eighteen in the middle of the school year, and back home she would have had a party, and maybe gone to a club to celebrate it. In America it was very different. As she couldn't legally drink until she was 21, she just poured it down whenever she had a chance.

Normally, she held her liquor quite well, but lately she hadn't been feeling well the next morning even if she only had a glass of wine with dinner.

The binge drinking was probably a bad thing. Except for Rhys, her parents and a few friends, the only thing she missed about the old UK, was that she could actually go out and have beer whenever she wanted.

Briefly thinking that the hangovers could have an other explanation, she pushed the thought away. She felt generally fine. There was no reason to get alarmed. Back home she and Rhys would live together for a time before they started to plan a family.


	37. Sunshine State, here we come!

New Directions goes to Orlando and has to sleep in a classroom. Dean and Castiel never gets a chance to pick up where they left off at John's party. When Sam decides to confront his dad about his wishes for the future, he gets more than one surprise. There's an awkward momet in the showers. The dress rehearsal goes disturbingly well.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Eye of the tiger - Survivor - M/L: Frankie Sullivan, Jim Petrek**

**Up - Olly Murs ft Demi Levato - M/L: ** **W. Hector, D. Davidson, M. Cottone, P. Wallevik, Cutfather**

* * *

The tickets to Orlando had already been purchased. Sam Evans and Will Schuester had decided to do it, hoping that the choir would raise enough money to pay them back. When Unique handed over the money from the beauty-salon, it started to look good.

Dean's boss made good on his promise, and after the final count they were only a couple of hundred dollars short. Will and Sam were satisfied with that, and were ready to take their loss, when a check arrived at the principal's desk the morning of their departure.

"Two hundred and two dollars and thirty four cents. Who knew that exact amount?" Sam Evans was showing them the check as they entered the bus that would take them to the airport. "I mean, it's awesome, but I really would like to thank the person responsible."

Unique threw her hands out and rolled her eyes. "We all knew. You told us on Monday." She shook her head as she climbed onboard. John came up right behind her. "It wasn't me. I know that you could think it was, but if my mom sent it, she did it without my knowledge."

It was a puzzle, but everybody was too excited to really care.

They couldn't afford a hotel or anything, so they had to camp in a classroom at the high school. That didn't matter for them either. Being a part of this was so big that they had all agreed that they would sleep standing up if that had been the case.

Arriving late afternoon, there wouldn't be much time for anything but to dump their bags at the school before they went to check out the venue and meet the local orchestra. Brad and the band had decided to take the van, and wouldn't arrive until the next day. They would show up at the venue for the dress rehearsal.

It was set up so that each choir would get a half hour alone just to keep their setlist a secret for their competitors. Tonight they would only be checking out the stage and make sure that their choreography would fit.

The two and a half hour flight went well, although a couple of the members in the choir had never been on a plane before. For them it was an adventure in itself. Dean told them that he he had actually been in the air at one point in time, but he was too little to remember. Garth and Jo hadn't even been near a big airport before, and had no clue what to expect.

The seating arrangement was quite random, and it didn't take long before some of them started negotiating a swap. Dean and Jo were placed together with a random guy, but she would rather sit wit a more experienced flyer from the choir. John, Gwen and Ianto shared a three-seater, and Ianto volunteered to let her have his seat.

It was obvious that he wanted to sit with Jack, but Unique refused to move, so when Garth offered him the seat right across the aisle from Jack, he took it, and was satisfied sharing with the twins. Garth was about to sit down next to Dean when Castiel tapped his shoulder and pointed over to Kevin. "Won't you rather sit with him?"

Jane, Charlie and their two chaperones were sitting all the way in the back, and didn't even know that there were some changes going on row 16 through 19.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After the kiss in John's back garden, the rest of the guests had suddenly swarmed out of the house. Dean and Castiel had hurriedly pulled apart, and nobody seemed to have noticed anything

They never got a chance to be alone after that, but the small touches and the clandestine looks they shared was sufficient at the moment. They both kind of knew that they had broken a barrier, and that the awkwardness and fear between them were something of the past.

Keeping it a secret from the rest of their friends was a mutual agreement, determined by not so many words. "A movie maybe." Dean whispered into Castiel's ear as they at one point stood next to each other a little bit away from the rest of the crowd. Cas reached his pinky out to touch the back of Dean's hand. "Sure, or something."

Dean got picked up by his brother at the agreed time. The Party was technically over anyway, but he didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to Cas. The handshake didn't feel right, but there was nothing else he could do without raising suspicion amongst his friends. He could see that Cas felt the same, but he managed to blow him a kiss before he had to take off.

Castiel was busy with church and family matters the whole Sunday, and the two school days they had before they left for Florida were too crazy to even try to make time to hang out. It didn't really matter. The excitement of sharing a secret was good though.

They had at one point ran into each other in the restroom during lunch, but they wasted that stolen moment. None of them had expected it, so they just stood there smiling at each other before Cas dared to go in for a quick kiss. Their lips barely touched before someone walked in on them. Dean tried to make it look like he was helping Cas pick a lash out of his eye, but the guy walking over to the urinal didn't seem to pay attention to them anyway.

Castiel had sent a few texts. Nothing elaborate - one of them contained only xxx - but it was nice. Dean answered promptly in the same abbreviated way. It was as if they both had agreed that they wouldn't 'talk' about this until they got a chance to be together alone.

When they suddenly ended up next to each other on the plane, it was perfect, but they didn't get much time to talk there either. The guy in the window seat tried to involve Dean in a conversation about these cheap flights that didn't even serve a decent cup of coffee. Dean couldn't care less, but the man was ranting on until the stewardess came through the aisle with the cart. He bought the crappy coffee and five muffins. The chewing kept him busy for a while.

An hour into the flight, Gwen was leaning over to tell Castiel about the flat Rhys had found for them. She handed him her phone so he could look at the pictures, and he tried to look interested.

The flight was over before they knew it, and they hadn't really had time to exchange many words up in the air. On the rented bus from the airport, Dean and Cas didn't get to sit together, and there was no time for anything until they arrived at the venue two hours later.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Unique was such a busybody. Ianto didn't really expect that the plane ride would give him much time to talk with Jack about what was on his mind, but if he could have sat with him it would have been good.

After what happened in the restroom at prom, they had barely spent a moment alone, and Ianto was starting to think that Jack was avoiding him. It was two ways to interpret it. For one: Jack was over it. The thing in the restroom was just a thing in the restroom, and Jack wasn't interested anymore. For two: Jack worried that hooking up with Ianto would screw up his plans for the future, and he shied away to protect himself.

Ianto didn't like any of those scenarios. He knew that Jack would leave no matter what, If Jack was over him it would be too sad. If Jack thought that Ianto would make a drama out of him leaving, he was so wrong. Ianto wanted Jack to make it. He was pretty sure that the guy had what it took to become a Broadway star.

One single night together was the only thing Ianto wished for at the moment. If that could lead to something it would be awesome. Ianto really hoped that it would, but he was perfectly aware of what he was competing with.

In his head he had this dream that Jack would go to New York and make it big. Ianto would come there after graduation next year to continue his education, and the two of them would live happily ever after.

It was far fetched; Ianto knew that, but in order to make this a semi-plausible scenario, he had to make Jack understand that whatever happened, Ianto would never do anything to jeopardize Jack's chances to shine.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sam was pissed off. He was stuck at home with his dad and was bored already. Having the guy around gave him mixed feelings. He really wanted to spend time with him. Every time their father abandoned them, Sam got sad, but when he was there he behaved as if he was the one who was abandoned.

John Winchester claimed that he cared for his boys, and that he missed them every day when he was on the road. It definitely didn't feel that way.

After dinner, at the time when Sam knew that he choir was half way to Orlando, he decided to take the confrontation he'd planned in his head for a long time.

"I want to stay here in Lima." He threw a peek at his dad. "I want to graduate here, and I don't want to go on the road again." John Winchester put the leftovers in the fridge before he turned to his youngest son. "Why? Why do you want to stay in this godforsaken place?"

Sam wasn't sure if he should pull out the big guns, but his dad's wishy-washy behavior pissed him off a little. "If you don't let me stay, I will call child services and and tell them everything." He trembled as he said the words. He also felt a little sick threatening his dad.

"You were left in the care of your big brother. He is of age, and… If you want to stay here so bad…" It took several minutes before his dad continued. Sam wasn't sure if he should say anything, but decided to keep quiet.

"Do you want to go to Florida?" His dad's words threw Sam off a little, and he had to take a moment before he could reply. "No dad. I want to stay here. I'm sure Florida is good, but no." He had been to too many different schools already, and he'd never got a chance to form friendships like he'd done here at McKinley. "Please. I can stay with a friend. He asked his parents and they said yes."

There was another awkward silence before his dad came back to the couch. "No, you misunderstood. Do you want to go to Florida right now to see your brother perform? If we leave now, we can be there for the competition."

Sam got totally thrown. He really wanted to go, but he wondered if his dad was suggesting it to avoid dealing with Sam's threat. "I, I, I want to, but I have school, and I…" John Winchester interrupted his son. "School? School is technically over. I'm sure you won't be missed. What can they do? Suspend you for the remaining three days?"

It made sense. There was really not much to do at school these few days, but Sam wasn't ready to let his dad off the hook. "It's so easy for you. You just, you think that you can just take us away whenever you have a whim, but we have responsibilities. I can't… I don't want to just leave."

He wanted nothing else but go to Florida right now this moment, and he hoped that he wasn't jeopardizing it by being argumentative. Sam wanted his dad to understand that he would never again just cave in and go with him wherever he decided to seek his imaginary fortune. That this trip would be different didn't matter. He needed to put his foot down and show him that this game was over.

"Come on." John Winchester got up from the couch and grabbed his bag. After assessing the content, he went over to the little drying rack and picked two t-shirts and a pair of jeans from it. "Let's go to Florida. If you need to call someone to tell them where you're heading, do it now."

Sam shook his head. "Didn't you hear me? I can't just…" He sighed heavily before he met his dad's eyes. The man smiled. "You can, and you will. If you are going to stay here in Lima for another two years, let us have this one road-trip together. We can share the wheel, and we'll be there in good time before the show."

Did he just say that Sam could stay? Was this his dad's awkward way of saying that he caved in and would let him graduate at McKinley? Sam must have looked a little surprised and slightly dumbfounded, because it wasn't hard to see that his John Winchester found it mildly humorous. He chuckled a little before he turned to walk towards the door. "Pack light, we are not staying long. You can tell me about the family that promised to take you in, and what kind of deal I can make with them to keep you fed. Or maybe we can find another solution."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Two big blackboards were draped with big sheets of fabric, and served as a divider between the girls side and the boys side of the the room. All the chairs and the desks were stacked by the wall, and a few thin mattresses were spread around on the floor randomly.

They hadn't thought much about how their sleeping arrangements would be, but it looked kind of sad.

Gwen and Ianto had brought inflatable mattresses that were big enough for two each. The others were practically fighting over who'd get to share with them, but it was obviously already established. John and Jo had been promised the spots long before they left Lima.

Unique was thoroughly pissed off and uttered a few syllables that surprised a couple of the others. "I have one, but I didn't think of it. Fuck that." She did manage to grab one of the spare ones that Jo and Gwen wouldn't use, but she was still not satisfied.

Madison and Jane weren't too happy either, but after stealing a mattress from the boys' side they too got a double-decker each. Charlie took it in the stride and didn't make a fuss.

Most of the boys didn't seem to care. Dean and Jack had been slumming it before, and joked about how bad they had had it on some occasions. Castiel, Garth and Kevin had been to different camps in the past, and had to sleep on thinner mattresses then these.

Mason was really the only one who complained, but except for the obvious disgruntled expression on his face, he kept it civil.

A few of the other choirs were staying at the school as well, and some of them made a much bigger drama about it. As the guys in New Directions came to terms with their fate, they could hear some students yelling and bitching in the hall.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean slept like a baby; more so than he'd actually counted on. He and Castiel had shared a few looks before they put their mattresses down next to each other and as far away from the other boys as possible.

As Dean got himself comfortable in the sleeping-bag, Cas went to use the restroom, and before the boy was back, Dean fell asleep and didn't wake up until Sam Evans came to rouse them in the morning.

They had a couple of hours before they were due at the venue, but they didn't have time to socialize much. After a simple breakfast in the lunchroom at the school, where they met the other five choirs that had to sleep there, they only had about a half hour before it was their turn in the showers.

Dean was used to showering with a bunch of guys after football practice, but this was very different. He had never been so self-conscious in his life as he was when he entered the locker-room.

John stripped naked without hesitation. Jack wasn't far behind; Kevin and Garth looked at each other and shrugged before they too followed suit. Ianto was procrastinating and undressed very slowly. Dean knew that the guy had body issues, although they had no foundation in reality. So maybe the guy wasn't as slim and toned as John, and both Garth, Kevin and Mason were definitely skinnier, but Ianto had nothing to be ashamed of.

The last few weeks, Dean hadn't worked out so much, and he felt a little flabby himself at the moment. The others were probably not able to notice, and it had nothing to do with his reluctance to enter the shower room.

If he could have been there alone with Castiel, it would have been better, although it was Cas he was trying to avoid in there. Dean wanted to see him naked, but at the same time it didn't feel right. They hadn't come that far in their relationship yet.

Castiel was on the other side of a row of lockers, and hadn't emerged yet. Dean looked over at Ianto sitting there in his t-shirt and boxers. The poor guy seemed a little lost, as he threw a peek towards the entrance to the showers.

Dean didn't want to be that guy who didn't dare, and tried to imagine that this was just like a normal day after football practice. He hurried to undress and practically ran into the showers just as John, Jack and Kevin came out.

Garth was still there. He was humming a tune as he pretended to box against an invisible opponent. He didn't falter when Dean joined in on the chorus. On the contrary; they both sang out loud as Dean lathered his hair hurriedly.

"_It's the eye of the tiger_

_It's the thrill of the fight_

_Risin' up to the challenge_

_Of our rival_

_And the last known survivor_

_Stalks his prey in the night_

_And he's watchin us all with the_

_Eye of the tiger."_

Castiel had still not come in. Dean knew that Mason was also out there somewhere, but he couldn't care less.

"_Face to face, out in the heat_

_Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry."_

Ianto had finally mustered up the courage, and came in singing along. Dean wanted to finish fast so he could get out of there, and he didn't dare to turn around when he in the corner of his eyes saw Cas and Mason coming in with towels around their waists.

"_Risin' up straight to the top_

_Had the guts, got the glory_

_Went the distance_

_Now I'm not gonna stop_

_Just a man and his will to survive."_

After making sure he got all the shampoo out of his hair and the soap off his body, Dean grabbed his towel and exited without looking at anybody.

"_The eye of the tiger_

_The eye of the tiger_

_The eye of the tiger…"_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

As usual, Sam Evans had made last minute changes, and they had to rehearse two whole new song only days before their departure. Even with limited time, they had all agreed. It was the first time since they got together last fall, that they had all liked the songs from the get go.

Nobody had complained about who would do the lead, and even if it was a bit of choreography involved, they had been happy about the pick.

The orchestra they had to work with had no problems adapting the few changes needed for it to fit a choir, and Brad was there to accompany them.

Jane and John both had a little bit of actor in them, and they fit perfectly as the broken up couple.

"_I drew a broken heart_

_Right on your window pane_

_Waited for your reply_

_Here in the pouring rain_

_Just breathe against the glass."_

The rest of the boys formed a straight line behind John and harmonized with him as he continued his part.

"_Leave me some kind of sign_

_I know the hurt won't pass, yeah_

_Just tell me it's not the end of the line…"_

The boys stepped aside to let Jane through the line and as she sang her verse, the other girls came up behind her forming and arrow with her as the point.

"_I never meant to break your heart_

_Now I won't let this plane go down_

_I never meant to make you cry…"_

The subtle harmony that they provided flowed flawlessly, and Gwen worried a little. Dress rehearsals were supposed to suck. John and the boys were back on, and Gwen didn't have time to ponder anymore.

"_You drew a question mark_

_But you know what I want…"_

The next part was a bit tricky. All of them - except for John and Jane obviously - had to form a line that was supposed to look a little like a bridge. The tallest ones were in the middle and the rest of them had to bend their knees more or less as they at the same time sang along.

"_So let's build a bridge, yeah_

_From your side to mine_

_I'll be the one to cross over…"_

Picking dance partners at random - everybody knew that it was not random - they had to pretend to slow dance to the somewhat upbeat song. Dean and Kevin didn't get a partner, but Dean grabbed a guitar and Kevin sat down with Brad on the piano stool and pretended to play with him.

"_You gotta hold on_

_Hold on to what you're feeling_

_That feeling is the best thing_

_The best thing, alright."_

They all froze in their positions as John stepped forward to sing alone again. Gwen was holding on to Jack for dear life, as he dipped her just as this moment arose.

"_Girl, I know we could climb back to where we were then_

_Feel it here in my heart_

_Put my heart in your hand_

_Well, I hope and I pray that you do understand…"_

She didn't really mind hanging on to Jack. He was intriguing to say the least. Gwen knew that she had a real crush on him in the past, but she would never ever have acted on it. She was happily engaged to Rhys, and she loved him deeply. Jack was an unwanted distraction, and she knew perfectly well that she would never be happy with a guy like that.

That Jack was a tad more into boys was also an issue, but nonetheless, Jack was off limits regardless. Gwen knew perfectly well that Ianto had the hots for him, and even without Rhys in the picture she would never go for it anyway.

"_I never meant to break your heart_

_Now I won't let this plane go down (let this plane go down)_

_I never meant to make you cry_

_I'll do what it takes to make this fly, oh…"_

The dance was back on before they soon pulled apart to act like a backdrop for Jane and John. The two of them did an amazing job, and Gwen supported Mr Evans choice for the lead on this.

"_You gotta hold on_

_Hold on to what you're feeling_

_That feeling is the best thing_

_The best thing, alright…"_

The moment with Jack was over, and looking at him from the other side of the stage, Gwen knew she was over it.


	38. A world of indifference

Sam gets yet another surprise as he and his dad drive towards Florida. Kevin has snuck in to eavesdrop on the other choirs, and he is disturbed. Dean tries to get a chance to talk to Castiel, but the guy brushes him off. Their performance goes well, and after it is all over, John Winchester takes his boys out for burgers. Jo and Castiel tag along, while the rest of the choir has a sing-along in the classroom.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Thnks fr th mmrs - Fall Out Boy - M: Patrick Stump, L: Pete Wentz**

**Hooked on a feeling - B. J. Thomas - M/L: Mark James**

* * *

A little more than two hours into the drive, John Winchester exited the highway pulled into a gas station. "Should have filled up before we left, but anyway. I need something to drink. "He handed Sam a credit card. "Get some water or whatever you want, and buy some snack foods. He got out of the car and opened the lid to the gas tank.

The two of them hadn't uttered many words so far; Sam brought a book, and had pretended to read while his dad had been humming along to the different tunes on the radio. After loading up on junk food and drinks, Sam payed for the purchases and the gas before he went to sit in the passenger seat.

"No, come on. You can drive for a while." His dad waved him over to the other side of the car and gave him the keys. "Tell me about Lima, and about your friend."

Sam took his time before he started talking. "Ianto is a junior, and they have a big house." He had never really been driving on the highway before, and it was a little nerve-wrecking until he settled on a nice cruising speed. "They are really nice people." It was lame. Sam didn't know much about them. Even if he'd been to the house a few times, he hadn't been properly introduced to any of them.

"Dean wants to stay also." He wasn't sure if he should have brought that up, but couldn't think of anything else to say at the moment. "I know." Their dad shrugged, but didn't comment any more on the information.

Sam got a little surprised. He didn't know that Dean and their dad had talked about it.

When his dad didn't say anything more, Sam shut up as well. As he drove into the night, and his passenger fell asleep, he was really relived.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"We don't stand a chance!" Kevin was back from his undercover mission in the auditorium. He got picked because he was a master in going undetected. Acting as a stagehand, and keeping in the shadows, he'd managed to overhear three of the other choirs perform.

"I mean, I didn't see much, but the few glimpses I got was quite unsettling." They were sitting in a little park not to far from the venue having a late lunch. The plan had been to go back to the school they were staying at to have lunch there, but after the crappy breakfast, John had offered to buy food for them all.

They all managed to squeeze in around the picnic table as John and Jack came back from the Chinese place they had found nearby. Paper plates and chopsticks were handed out before about twenty cubed cartons were pulled out of the big paper bags.

"Okay Kevin. Tell us everything." John opened one of the boxes, but pushed it away. "Who wanted sweet and sour pork?" Kevin sighed as he dug some white rice onto his plate. "Well. The choreography… I mean, they looked like professional dancers. The guys from, from, erm, San Diego were just… I don't know, but they could win this."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "That is not helpful. So okay, we know that we have fierce competition, and I don't think any of us are expecting to walk away with that trophy, but wasn't there anything, _anything_ at all we could learn from this?"

Kevin shook his head. "No, I think not. If anything, my mission made it all worse. Or, come to think of it, maybe not." A few of the others looked up from their food and stared at him. He threw his hands out. "From what I could figure out, we have nothing to lose. We do not have to enter that stage nervously anticipating a placement. We can go in there and pretend that this is just another rehearsal at McKinley."

Gwen, Jack and Jane nodded in agreement. "That's right. Those choirs who are hoping to win, could make mistakes and screw up, but we, we don't have to worry about that." Jack panned the crowd around the table. "We sing well. I would say we have a few awesome performers with us. The songs are good and catchy, so let's put on a show for them without thinking about the aftermath."

A few hands were lifted and some of the guys high-fived each other. "We don't need to win, we just need to make memories." John was speaking with his mouth full, and had to swallow before he continued. "Sorry. Let's blow them away with our indifference."

They all laughed as they finished eating.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The ride took a little longer than John Winchester had scheduled. Sam took the blame easily. When he got too tired to drive anymore, he'd just pulled off the highway to park, and then he'd crawled into the backseat to sleep instead of waking his dad to get him to drive.

When Sam eventually woke up, they were on the road again. He had noticed that they were moving, but he'd been too tired to actually pay much attention.

For a moment, he felt an urge to excuse himself. They weren't supposed to just stop, but his dad wasn't bothered by it. "We'll still make the show. It's not on until late."

Climbing over the backrest to sit in the passenger seat, Sam suspected that this trip wasn't just a whim from his dad. The guy knew exactly where they were going and when to be there. He had possibly planned this way ahead of time.

They stopped for a quick meal at a roadside cafe where Sam decided to confront his dad about his suspicions. "Did you plan this? Did you plan to go and watch him no matter what?" Sam looked his father straight in the eyes, and got quite satisfied when the guy averted his stare.

"You did. You were going to go with or without me." Sam was pleased on Dean's behalf, and he was also quite surprised. "I've lost you… sort of." His dad drew his breath and exhaled audibly before he continued. "I know I'm a screwup. I'm not being the dad that you need, but I will try to make amends."

Sam didn't know what to say. He didn't really know what it meant, but if he and Dean could stay in Lima with their dad's support, it would be the best. "Does that mean…" Sam wasn't sure if he should say it. "Dean can stay as well, right?"

John Winchester got up from his seat. "We should get back on the road. Come on." He left a few dollars as a tip before he walked towards the door. As soon as Sam had caught up with him he turned around. "Yes. I'm not going to push him anymore. He is an adult. He can decide for himself."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The judges had sat in on the dress rehearsals, and had already taken notes. For the main show, and in order to squeeze the whole thing into a one evening event, the twelve choirs had to pick two of their songs to perform in front of the audience.

After an afternoon of contemplating what to go for, Sam Evans and Santana Lopez decided to skip the One Direction song. It wasn't hard to see that some of the guys found it relieving. It was the one song that they had struggled the most with, although this morning they had managed to do it flawlessly on the second take.

Dean was especially happy. Even here in Orlando, miles away from his former team mates who had taunted him about it, he felt embarrassed when they did that song.

They had a little pep-talk before the show started, and it wasn't easy to understand that their chaperones were just as discouraged about the competition that the singers. They tried to hide it, and they both did their best to lift their spirit.

It was really pointless. Dean knew for sure that they had no chance whatsoever, but it was nice getting the support. He was more concerned about the fact that their speeches took so long. He wanted to get a chance to talk to Castiel alone before they were due on stage.

Not that he had any idea about what to say, but he was confident that he would come up with something. Technically, he hoped that Cas would be the one who spoke first, but Dean was pretty sure that it wouldn't happen before they were alone.

When Gwen asked to be excused because she needed to use the restroom, Jo and Madison followed suit. John just walked away, telling them that he had to get something to drink. Ianto waved for him to wait. "Me too, sorry."

That was really it. Sam and Santana realized that they had taken up enough of their time, and withdrew to go and sit with the audience.

Almost all of them walked away through the hallway leading to the backstage area. Jack was hanging back a little, and Dean was pretty sure he was looking for Ianto. Castiel looked like he wasn't sure what to do, but seemed to be about to follow the main crowd.

Dean had to step up. That Charlie was there, seemingly struggling to get her shoe on, didn't matter. That Madison couldn't decide whether she needed to pee or not, didn't matter either. Jack was totally in his own little world, as he looked over to see if John and Ianto would be back soon.

When Dean grabbed Castiel's arm to hold him back, the guy stopped abruptly and turned around. "This is not the time either." He whispered as he looked over at the stragglers. "Later."

He was gone before Dean got a chance to say a word, but 'later' didn't suit him well. He got a little discouraged. *Later' and 'this is not the time' seemed to be just that. Maybe Cas wasn't that into this? Maybe it would never happen?

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

There were no available tickets when they arrived. Even if John Winchester had made plans for this trip beforehand, he did not expect a full venue. Sam had to use his connections to get them inside.

"Now you show up!" Brad looked a little disgruntled. "We could have used you for the hauling." He quickly changed his expression and smiled. "Didn't know you were coming. Was it planned?"

Sam explained briefly what had happened, and that him and his dad made this trip on a whim. "But we need to get in there. Can you help?" It would be quite devastating if they came all this way just to hang in the parking lot until it was over.

"Sure. So you're Dean's dad? He's a good guitar player. I could use him." He shook hands with John before he continued. "It's quite packed in the balcony as well, but two rows are reserved for stagehands and musicians. Worse case scenario, you'll have to stand through the show, but I'll get you inside." He led them through the back door and pointed out the direction. "I can't go with you, but ask around. Tell them that you're with the band from McKinley."

It wasn't much of a problem getting to the balcony. A young girl followed them part of the way, and then she pointed to a staircase and told them to walk two stories up.

When Sam opened the first door they came to, he soon realized that it was not the one. About thirty girls were busy getting ready, and luckily none of them noticed, so Sam closed the door gently before he tried the next.

The show had just started as they snuck inside, and the emcee was in the middle of a speech. Sam panned the balcony to see if there were available seats, but there weren't any nearby. The judges got introduced and then the real thing started shortly after.

With everybody focused on what happened on stage, and with the loud music covering up the miniscule sounds they made, Sam and his dad scooted along the back wall to get to a row with a few empty seats.

They had no idea when New Directions would be on, but as the first choir regrouped to sing their second song, Sam leaned over to a girl in front of him. "Is there a program of some sort? We don't know who are singing right now." The girl turned and shushed him, before she shoved a little pamphlet into his hand. With some telling hand-gestures she managed to explain that she wanted it back.

"Are they all this good?" Daddy Winchester nudged Sam as the choir from Arizona received their well deserved applause. "I don't know, but this was disturbingly well done." Sam knew that his friends were really good singers, but they could definitely do better in the dancing department. It was a competition for show-choirs, and New Directions had serious competition here.

He hurried to flip through the little pamphlet before he handed it back to the girl. He had found out that 'his' choir would be up seventh, and the closer they got to that, the more nervous he got.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The choir from Minneapolis had just had a beautiful performance of 'Send in the clowns'. The male dancer in a clown costume delivered an absolutely amazing lyrical dance at the end of the song, and it wasn't hard to notice that the audience was quite touched by it.

New Directions was up next, and they all looked at each other with concern. Kevin had to remind them about their take on it. "Indifference. We are not going out there to win, We are going out there to make an impression, and if we get honorable mention, we have made it." He whispered as he gestured for all of them to gather together. "Let's have fun out there." He lifted his hand, and all the others slapped it before they had to run out on stage.

The song 'Up" went as planned, and even if their steps couldn't compete with the dancing choir who started the show, nor with the emotional end to the previous performers, Cas was quite pleased.

He knew that Jack had been quite annoyed about not having the the lead on any of the songs they had planned for the competition, but the team spirit was high, and he could see that Jack seemed satisfied.

The cellists in the orchestra started playing their next song, and Cas didn't get time to ponder on their performance any more. He knew that Dean wanted to be the lead on this, but Mr Evans had decided to give it to Ianto. It was okay. He would get to hold Dean's hand.

"_I'm gonna make you bend and break (It sent you to me without wait)_

_Say a prayer, but let the good times roll_

_In case God doesn't show (Let the good times roll, let the good times roll)"_

It was fast paced and suited them all perfectly. mostly because it didn't have any elaborate choreography involved.

"_One night and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories even though they weren't so great_

_He tastes like you, only sweeter…"_

He couldn't help thinking about Dean as he sang the chorus. If he could sing this to a former girlfriend it would have been perfect. Not that he'd really had any, but it would have been a good fit if that had been the case.

"_Been looking forward to the future_

_But my eyesight is going bad_

_In these crystal balls."_

Waving his hands in the air in sync with the rest of his choir, Cas felt happy. Whatever the judges thought about their performance didn't count, This was a group of singers that didn't care. They were doing it for themselves, and a bad judgement would change anything.

"_(They say)_

_I only think in the form of crunching numbers_

_In hotel rooms, collecting page six lovers_

_Get me out of my mind…"_

Ianto did good. It was all just awesome. When Cas got to take Dean's hand as the boys walked up to the front of the stage, he knew for sure that he was in love. He was scared out of his mind, but he knew he had to face his fears.

"_(One night, one more time)_

_One night and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories even though they weren't so great_

_He tastes like you, only sweeter…"_

Dean squeezed Castiel's hand as they all took a step back. They were supposed to look straight forward as they sang, but Cas couldn't help throwing a quick peek to the side. Their eyes met briefly.

"_One night, yeah, and one more time_

_(One night, one more time)_

_Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories_

_(For the memories, for the memories_

_See, he tastes like you, only sweeter."_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"In third place. The Glee choir from McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio." The emcee pointed towards the backstage area as New Directions came out whooping and cheering. Sam was disappointed, but he'd seen the whole show and knew that a third place was as good as it could get.

The smiles from the guys up there told him that they hadn't expected a placement at all, so he had to be happy for them.

His dad wasn't as forgiving and started booing before Sam managed to shut him up. "Seriously? Shut up! Can't you see how happy they are?" He pointed to the stage, and saw at the same time that his brother was holding on to Castiel as he was nuzzling his face into the crook of the guy's neck. It lasted only a second, and Sam was pretty sure that his dad couldn't possibly have noticed.

New Directions scooted back on the stage to make room for the choir in second place. Sam didn't even pay attention anymore. He got out of his seat and urged his father to follow. If they should have any chance to show Dean that they were there, they had to get downstairs quickly.

Sam ran down the stairs with his dad in tow. He had no problems backtracking their path, and before the winners were announced, they were next to the hall leading to the stage.

The bands and the orchestra were already busy hauling their equipment out. When Brad spotted Sam, he urged him to help out. "We are leaving as soon as possible. You need a ride?"

Sam wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to wait for his brother, but he felt that he had to chip in, "No. I don't need a ride, but I can help out anyway." He looked at his dad and gestured for him to stay put. "I'll be right back."

His dad did not follow directions, When John Winchester understood what Sam was up to, he ran over to help as well. With the extra pair of hands, they managed to get everything out of there in a jiffy.

In the meantime, the show was over, and all the singers came running through. Being in the back of the line, New Directions came out last. Sam looked for his brother, but it took a while before he eventually emerged..

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The surprise of seeing his father when he came off stage, almost surpassed the fear that Castiel was wishy-washing. Their embrace as they received the trophy for third place had been a little awkward, and Dean had felt that Cas wasn't quite into it.

Maybe it was just his own insecurities that played tricks on him, but it was a fact that even if Castiel had sent cute little texts, he had always some excuse for not hanging out with Dean alone.

Before he got a chance to express that he was happy to see his family, Sam slapped him on the shoulder. "We can stay in Lima if you want." The smile on his brother's face, and the nod from his dad told him that it was the truth, and every other worry that he'd had got wiped out of his head for a moment.

"Really? You mean it?" Dean stared at his dad for a second before he went over and hugged the man. "Thank you, but we have to move." Both Sam and John seemed a little startled, and it could look like his brother was about to pass out.

"Oh. No. I mean, erm, we have to find another place to live. It's not safe there." Dean chuckled a little nervously. "Sorry. Didn't mean to…" He didn't need to finish the sentence. Sam sighed heavily as he shook his head. "Man, you scared me."

"Hi, Sam. Didn't know you would be here." Castiel stopped and shook hands with Sam before he threw a quick peek at John. Dean composed himself, and nodded towards his father. "John Winchester, my dad." He pointed at Cas as he addressed his father. "Jim, er, Cas Novak. He's in the choir."

A loud scream made them all turn around. Jo came running towards them and threw herself into Sam's arms. "You came. Did you see us? Are you staying long? This is so cool. We can't stay out late; our plane leaves early tomorrow, but we can hang out for a little bit, right?" She looked at the three others, but didn't let her eyes linger before she turned back to Sam. "Can we?"

John winked at Dean before he nodded towards Sam and Jo. "I did plan to take you boys out for a quick bite before Sam and I have to get on the road to go back, but I guess we can bring her as well."

Dean swallowed his pride, and looked at Cas. "I'm sure you can come as well." And then turned to his dad he added: "I, er, me and Cas planned to hang out after the show, so if it's okay…?" The lie wasn't really a lie. Cas had said 'later' and this was later. That they didn't get to be alone was a minor concern. Dean just wanted Cas around no matter what.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga_

_Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga_

_Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga…"_

They had borrowed a guitar from the music room at school, and after tuning it, Ianto was leading a sing-along in the classroom they used as their sleeping quarters. He wished that Dean could have been there; he was a much better guitar player.

"_I can't stop this feeling_

_Deep inside of me_

_Girl, you just don't realize_

_What you do to me."_

John started singing as he danced around Unique. All the others were 'ooga-chaka-ing' quietly in the background as Ianto did his best to remember the chords.

"_When you hold me_

_In your arms so tight…"_

Unique played along and pulled John into an embrace. The friendship between the two of them had evolved after prom, and Ianto almost got a little jealous. Everybody joined in on the chorus, and the harmonies sat well.

"_I'm hooked on a feeling_

_I'm high on believing_

_That you're in love with me."_

Jack jokingly pushed John away and gave him a piercing stare before he took the lead on the next verse.

"_Lips as sweet as candy_

_It's taste is on my mind…"_

He kissed Unique on the lips before he moved away and dragged Jane out on the floor to dance with her.

"_Got a bug from you girl_

_But I don't need no cure…"_

Jack let Jane go and he pulled a very reluctant Garth into a slow-dance. Ianto cursed silently to himself. With the guitar on his lap, Jack wouldn't come for him. Again, he wished that Dean was there.

"_All the good love_

_When we're all alone_

The chorus was back on and this time everybody was more or less screaming it out. It didn't really matter anymore if the chords were right; nobody could hear the guitar anyway. Jack had let go of Garth now, and he sat down next to Ianto on the teacher's desk.

"_I'm hooked on a feeling_

_I'm high on believing_

_That you're in love with me."_

Ianto was very aware of how close he and Jack were sitting. The guitar blocked it somewhat, but he could feel the heat from his body. "Do another one. I'm sure you good enough." The little whisper as he could feel Jack's finger trail his spine, threw Ianto off. The others were still singing and didn't notice that the guitar went quiet.

"_I'm hooked on a feeling_

_I'm high on believing_

_That you're in love with me..."_

The look he got from John was discouraging to say the least, but Ianto couldn't help feeling happy. Jack was still interested, and even if it would only be for a one night's stand, Ianto was more than willing to give in.


	39. Finally a date

Castiel has to keep a conversation going with Mr Winchester, and it's not easy. John has concerns about Ianto and Jack. The surprises are not over for Sam. His dad has more up his sleeve. Jack and Ianto communicate via texts, and Dean finally gets a chance to be alone with Castiel.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Brain Damage - Pink Floyd - M/L: Roger Waters**

**Wonderwall - Oasis - M/L: Noel Gallagher**

* * *

"Yeah. We rehearse together, and sometimes we just chill and listen to music." Castiel was talking to John Winchester about Dean, and Jo had to look over at Sam to see if he was just as surprised as her.

Dean was currently at the counter to pick up their orders, and Mr Winchester had asked Cas about his friendship with his son. Sam pinched her gently as he shook his head clandestinely. Jo got the point; she wasn't supposed to say anything about it, but her curiosity was not stilled.

She didn't even know that Dean and Cas hung out outside the choir room. She had been pretty sure they didn't, but Cas sounded honest enough. "Dean hasn't made many friends over the years, and I take the blame for that. I have dragged him along from city to city not even thinking about what he'd lost." Sam's dad looked sad for a moment, but then he smiled widely. "I'm a shitty dad, but I'm going to make it right."

They had decided to go to a fast food place because they didn't have time for the anything else. Dean, Castiel and Jo had to get back to the school in less than an hour for the curfew, and Sam and his dad had to hit the road to get back to Lima as fast as possible.

When Dean gestured for someone to help him carry the trays, Cas excused himself and hurried over there. She could see that they were talking a little bit, and Dean smiled and nodded before the two of them came back with the food.

"So, Jo, short for Joanna I guess, so you are Sam's girlfriend?" John Winchester stared right at her, and she threw a quick peek at Sam before she replied. "Yes, Sir. I am." Sam squeezed her hand under the table and she couldn't help smiling.

Cas and Dean were back handing out burgers and fries, making everybody focus on the food. Jo knew that she had to ask Sam about what was going on between Dean and Cas, and why Cas was lying about their friendship. It would have to wait though, she knew that she wouldn't get an answers until they were back home.

-o-o-o-o-o-

John had noticed that Jack had been totally unable to keep his paws off Ianto. He was thoroughly pissed about it, but there was nothing he could do at the moment without making a scene. It would be impossible for the two of them to hook up right now, and with the limited time in the morning, Ianto was safe for the time being.

Graduation was just a few days away, and Jack would leave soon after. If he could just keep them apart over the weekend, everything would be fine. So maybe there would be heartbreak involved, but not as bad as it could be if Jack managed to get into Ianto's pants before he left him hanging.

John didn't even know why he was so adamant about this. He did have a crush on Ianto when they first became friends, but it faded away as he realized that the friendship was more important. He also had to admit that he been quite taken by Jack from the moment the guy joined Glee-club, but that was also a thing of the past.

The infamous hook up at New Year's eve was something he really regretted. Not that he remembered much about it - he was seriously drunk - but at least they hadn't gone all the way.

After singing themselves hoarse, most of the guys started to turn in. They had an early start in the morning, and there was no point in postponing it. Dean, Jo and Cas were still missing, but Gwen had gotten a text from the girl that they were on their way.

Nobody really knew where they were or what they were doing. Sam and his dad had showed up unexpectedly and whisked them away from the venue before any of the other got an explanation.

It was quite interesting that Cas went with them, and John wondered if he and Dean were a couple now. Nothing they had said or done lately gave anything away, but John hadn't really payed much attention.

Introducing Cas to the dad was still a big step; especially for a guy like Dean who tried to make people believe that he was completely straight.

The conversation the two of them had after the new year's party came to mind. John had been both stoned and drunk, so it wasn't easy to recollect every word of it, but even if Dean had made it completely clear that he was not in love, John remembered clearly that he didn't believe it for one second. The rest of their intoxicated talk was just a big blur.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They made it back only seconds before the curfew. A superintendent or something was hanging around by the front door as they dived out of the car and ran over. The guy did not look happy when they explained who they were, but he did believe them and let them in before he locked the doors behind them.

Castiel took the lead through the halls; he was good with direction, and managed to find the way to their room quickly.

"_The lunatic is on the grass_

_The lunatic is on the grass_

_Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs…"_

They could hear the soft strumming of a guitar, and - Dean wasn't sure - Ianto singing quietly along. As they turned the last corner they could see the guy sitting on the floor outside their room with a guitar on his lap.

"_The lunatic is in the hall_

_The lunatics are…"_

He shut up immediately when they approached, and then he started to get up. "Oh. You're back. Most of the others are in bed so be quiet." He was about to walk away, and Dean grabbed his arm. "Where did you get the guitar? Can i try it?"

Ianto looked down at it, and shrugged. "I should have put it away already, but I was kind of, kind of… I just needed a moment." He huffed silently as he handed the instrument to Dean. "I guess it's okay. But no Rock'n Roll. People are sleeping."

Jo had already entered the room, and before the door closed behind her, Ianto hurried to follow her. He turned around just as he was about to get inside. "Don't leave it there, I can put it back in the morning."

Suddenly, Dean was alone with Castiel. He had wanted this for so long, but when it happened he was not prepared.

It soon became obvious that Castiel wasn't prepared for it either. "Um, are you going to play? I mean. That's cool. I can sit here listening." The guy scooted back a little before he slumped down on the floor several feet away.

There was no plan behind this. Dean just missed his guitar, and got a little envious when he saw Ianto with one. He plucked the strings absentmindedly, as he thought about what to do.

The instrument was well tuned, although it lacked the depth of a really good guitar. It didn't matter; this was not a performance, and he didn't have to make an impression.

He didn't put full pressure on the strings as he started playing. The surroundings called for a more subtle sound.

"_Today is gonna be the day_

_That they're gonna throw it back to you_

_By now you should've somehow_

_Realized what you gotta do…_

_I don't believe that anybody_

_Feels the way I do, about you now…"_

Dean kept his voice down, and he dared to throw a peek at Castiel as he leaned his back to the wall. Cas wasn't even looking at him, but he could hear that he was humming along.

"_And all the roads we have to walk are winding_

_And all the lights that lead us there are blinding_

_There are many things that I_

_Would like to say to you but I don't know how_

_Because maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me_

_And after all, you're my wonderwall."_

Castiel was still staring into the floor and Dean felt slightly uncomfortable about it. The thing the two of them had started was about to be spoiled because Dean wanted to play the guitar. Cas was there for him, but it didn't look like he enjoied the performance.

"_And all the roads that lead you there are winding_

_And all the lights that light the way are blinding…"_

Dean moved a little closer and sat down on the floor next to Cas. He was still strumming the guitar, and he kept singing.

"_I said maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me_

_And after all, you're my wonderwall."_

He got a smile. A small one, but still a smile.

"_I said maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me_

_And after all, you're my wonderwall."_

When Cas lifted his hand and stroke his cheek, Dean stopped playing and let the guitar slide down on the floor.

They stared at each other for a moment. "Why is there always something in the way. We can never be alone. Are you avoiding me?" Cas was holding onto Dean's shoulder but evaded his gaze as he spoke.

"What? I'm not… You're the one who's busy all the time." Dean sighed heavily. "We planned to watch a movie, but you never had time. I tried. I really tried."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The return trip was way more enjoyable than the ride to Orlando. Sam was so happy that their dad would let him and Dean stay in Lima, that he didn't feel tired even if it was quite late.

"How long are you going to stay in Lima? Are you gonna help us find a new place? I can possibly stay with Ianto and his family, and then we only have to look for a small apartment for Dean." Sam was already planning how to do this, but needed input from his dad.

John Winchester chuckled a little as he shook his head. "We have the whole summer. I mean, I have to take off for a while, but there is still plenty of time to sort this out." He focused on the road again, and Sam got a little disappointed. He was so hyped about this that he couldn't just leave it.

"I see, but, I mean… We can always still stay at that place for a couple of months, but really…" Sam was more than ready to move out, and he knew that Ianto's family would take him in anytime, but he really preferred staying with his brother.

Dean would probably be quite laidback about it, and expect that things would solve themselves in due time. Sam knew better. If they didn't act on it now, their dad could so easily postpone everything until school started, and quite possibly change his mind about the whole thing before it became a reality.

"Relax, son." John sighed heavily. "I wasn't going to tell you yet, but I guess you won't stop nagging me about it until we're in Ohio." He rubbed his chin before he threw a peek at Sam. "I sold the land. I'm thinking of buying a place."

Sam didn't at first understand what the guy was talking about. "What land?" Then it dawned on him. After the fire, his dad had wanted to rebuild the house, but the guy was a notorious procrastinator when it came to these things, and years had passed without any progress in the matter.

"The old house, erm, the land where…" He paused and looked at Sam. Sam nodded to show that he understood. "I'm never going to move back there regardless. I saw no point in keeping it any longer."

It was kind of sad, but Sam didn't remember much of it. He'd been too young to actually have any memories of living in the house, but they had been there a few times over the years. Back in the days when his dad was still adamant about rebuilding, he had taken them there from time to time, and explained what he wanted to do when he got around to it.

"I got a very good deal, and I decided to take it. I knew that you guys wanted to stay in Lima, so I thought it would be better to put the money into a house there. If you later want to move away, we can sell it."

After a moment of silence, while Sam did his best to digest the news, John continued. "I've already looked at properties, and I found a few affordable listings. It will be nice for me to have a real home to come to when I visit you guys."

For a moment, Sam wondered if their dad had been abducted by aliens and replaced by a clone. He had never heard the man talk like this before. Everytime he came up with an idea for the future, it always had to be executed later. 'Later' normally never came, and Sam wasn't very old when he learned not to take it seriously.

"When you visit? So you're not going to live there?" Sam was partially disappointed, but at the same time he was strangely relieved. There had been a few times that he and Dean didn't quite see eye to eye, and sometimes they didn't even know if they would have money for food the next week. The crappy housing was a whole sob-story in itself, but all in all, this year living with his brother had been the best year of his life.

He had missed his dad; probably not as much as one was supposed to miss their only parent. and even if Dean wasn't the most responsible adult he could think of, Sam had been happy about the arrangement.

"Maybe. Maybe I'll settle down, but I don't want to promise anything." John Winchester shrugged a little. "You know me, son." With a humourless chuckle he looked over before he continued. "Let's get you two a home, then we'll see." He turned on the radio, and Sam took it as a cue to not ask any more questions at the moment.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto was trying not to make much noise as he was twisting and turning to get comfortable. John, whom he shared the mattress with, had passed out completely, and didn't seem to be bothered by it.

The rest of the guys in there were probably sleeping as well; there were no sounds to indicate anything else. He wasn't sure if Cas and Dean were in bed yet; he'd been too busy feeling sorry for himself.

Time was running out for him. He had really hoped that Jack would have followed him out in the hall when he went to put the guitar back. The teacher who let him borrow it had told him that he could just leave it in the room, but he made up that excuse in hopes that Jack would take the bait.

That did not happen. Instead, Ianto sat there on the floor outside their room for the longest time, pining away.

It wasn't easy to understand Jack. The guy had been very subtle with the flirting lately; everything had been clandestined, but at the same time very direct. Ianto felt teased, and he didn't like the feeling.

In only a few days, Jack would leave Lima for good, and being only 'facebook'-friends wasn't going to give Ianto the satisfaction that he craved. A general promise of keeping in touch wasn't really good enough.

He could feel the buzz from his cell-phone as he turned for the umpteenth time. He hurried to dig it out from the pocket of his sweatpants.

"Jack: you awake?"

Ianto threw a quick peek over to where Jack was lying, but there was no movement. He looked at the text again and wondered what to do about it. He didn't spend many seconds pondering.

"Sure"

It took a couple of minutes before the phone buzzed again.

"Jack: I need a ride home on tuesday, can you help me?"

After a moment of fighting to not start hyperventilating, Ianto managed to collect himself enough to imagine what Jack was thinking. There was no doubt about it. Ianto would volunteer for this task at any time, but he wanted to know if there was any hidden agenda.

"possibly?"

Three minutes later, he had still not gotten a reply. Staring at the phone was not going to help, so Ianto tucked it back into his pocket trying not to be too excited. Maybe it was just that; Jack needed a ride, and he was asking around.

He was extremely tired, but if it had been hard to fall asleep before the short 'text-exchange', it was even harder now.

Ianto looked over at the shadow that was Jack, The guy didn't move, and there were no glare of light that could have come from a phone. Maybe Jack was completely satisfied with the answer, and would bring it up at a later time.

When the buzz came again, Ianto startled a little, and trying to not get his hopes up, he moved the phone up enough to read the text.

"Jack: If you want, you can stay with me and my folks for a couple of days, and maybe help me pack for NY."

The buzzes from the phone could not compare with the buzz in Ianto's head as he read the message. Jack wanted to hang out with him after school was over. He wanted him to come to his house and spend a night - two nights - before he took off to New York.

Ianto could almost not believe it. Was it possible that Jack had asked around? Maybe this was just a friendly request? His dick was convinced it wasn't, but that body part was not very reliable.

"That could be fun. Sure."

He had sent the text without a single brain-cell functioning. It was amazing that it was even possible. Regretting it wasn't an option; the words were already inside Jack's phone.

Fantasies about what could happen when they were alone in Jack's room took over completely, and Ianto had to cover up a moan when the pictures in his head got too vivid.

"Jack: Thanks. We shouldn't tell anyone. Sleep tight."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Cas was sweating like a pig. He wondered if he was stinky, but didn't really think so. The only thing he could smell at the moment was the faint scent of Dean's deodorant.

Sitting there on the floor arguing about who was to blame for their lack of interaction was just silly. Cas knew that he'd been tied up with a few things outside of school during the last few weeks, and he could so easily cop to that, but Dean had been busy with his job, and also with his dad showing up unexpectedly. That they both had the rehearsals screwing up everything didn't help much either.

Castiel was still holding onto Dean's shoulder, but when Dean - in a mocking way - started excusing himself for wanting to spend time with his dad, Cas let go. He folded his hands and let them rest on his lap.

"I want to go to bed." He didn't make a move to get up, he only wanted Dean to shut up. "Maybe we should just…" He never finished the sentence. Dean did shut up, and then he grabbed Castiel's folded hands with one of his and squeezed gently.

Sitting on the hard tiled floor started to get a little uncomfortable; leaning on a row of lockers was probably leaving ridges in his back from the vents, and Cas knew that he should get up regardless, but he stayed put.

"I'm sorry. I'm just, erm. Can we start over? Things happened and we couldn't hang out, but we have time." Dean was still holding onto Castiel's hands, but didn't look at him as he spoke. With a heavy sigh, he lifted his gaze slightly, but still without meeting Castiel's eyes. "I'm scared. This scares and confuses me."

Cas could so easily relate. He was terrified himself, but he wasn't confused about his own feelings. He'd kept his sexuality hidden from his friends and family, but to himself he'd been honest for a while.

Dean was still struggling to come to terms with this, and pushing him would not help. "I'm scared too, but… and I'm sorry." Cas swallowed hard. "I might have made up a few excuses, but it's because I, I didn't know…"

He lifted his arm and wrapped it over Dean's shoulders pulling him closer. "This is not the time and place, but I'm free the whole weekend. We could…" His speech got cut short when Dean suddenly kissed him on the lips, and before he knew it they were clinging to each other. Dean nuzzled his face into the crook of Castiel's neck. "Yeah…" He sounded a bit short winded. "Yeah, let's make it a date."

They untangled themselves and started to get up from the floor. After stretching a bit to loosen up, Cas took Dean's hand and started to walk towards the door to the classroom. Dean held back for a moment. "The guitar." He leaned down and picked it up before they snuck inside holding hands.


	40. Is there a future?

Back from nationals, everybody are busy cleaning out their lockers. A misconception creates a a small problem between Gwen and Ianto. Jack is having a heart to heart with himself. Castiel is waiting for Dean to call, but the Winchesters are looking at houses.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Story of my Life - One Direction - M/L: One Direction, ****J. Bunetta, J. Scott, J. Ryan**

**The Final Cut - Pink Floyd - M/L: Roger Waters**

**Puff, the Magic Dragon - Peter, Paul and Mary - M/L: L. Lipton, P. Yarrow**

**Flashdance... What a Feeling - Irene Cara - L: K. Forsey, I. Cara, M: Giorgio Moroder**

* * *

They came back to school just in time to clean out their lockers. After a night of choppy sleep and a very early flight from Orlando, the students in Glee-club walked around like zombies.

Charlie and Garth had done this before they left for the competition, and spent the remainder of the school day tidying the room where the computer club had their meetings. Sam was supposed to have done it yesterday, but they forgave him. He had taken the long trip to watch them sing, and was the only Lima resident in the audience except for the Mr Evans and Mrs Lopez.

Dean's dad had come with, and it surprised more than a few of the choir members. Some of them thought that the guy didn't really exist.

The two of them hadn't come back yet, but Sam had called his brother to take care of his locker as well. Dean was clearly tired, but there was a spring in his step that made Unique pull him aside and ask if he was on something. Jack overheard her, and before Dean got a chance to reply, he butted in. "It's love dear. I'm quite sure that he is clean."

As Unique turned to Jack with a puzzled expression, Dean managed to get away, and they didn't see him anymore that day.

Castiel was also one of those who had planned ahead, and after helping Mr Evans clearing the choir room, he was out the door and on his way home.

Jack didn't have much stuff, and finished fast. His locker was next to Gwen's and when the girl started sobbing as she picked her belongings out, he immediately went over to comfort her. "What's up, girl?" He wrapped an arm around her. "This is not 'goodbye', this is 'see you later'."

She wiped the tears off her cheeks and tried to give him a smile. "I know, but it's…" She sniffled a little. "I will come back to visit, but it's not the same. You will be in New York making it big. John will be at some fancy university far away. Dean will probably be on the road with his dad, and God knows where the rest of them will end up."

With a sigh, she started picking down the pictures she'd attached to the inside of the door to her locker. "Don't get me wrong." She had to wipe another tear away. "I can hardly wait to be back home, but… I'm sick, I need to puke, and I…" The waterworks started over again and she clung to Jack as she tried to keep it down.

Jack wasn't sure what to do. "If you're sick, you should just go. I can do this for you." He stroke her back to try to sooth her. Over her shoulder he could see Ianto approaching, and the look on the guy's face was quite hostile to put it gently.

There was no time to explain. Jack couldn't just ditch Gwen, and before she had calmed down enough to pull out of his embrace, Ianto had turned around and disappeared around the corner. "Honey. It will be okay." He lifted Gwen's backpack to make it easier for her to put her stuff in it. "I can do it. I can swing by your house later and bring it to you."

She shook her head and smiled though the tears. "Don't worry about it. I'm done soon anyway." It looked like she gagged a little, and she covered her mouth quickly. Then she drew her breath deeply and exhaled very slowly as she just pushed the rest of the content of her locker into the bag. "I'll be fine. Thank you Jack. You're a teaser and a son of a bitch, but you are a true friend, and I love you to pieces. Only as a friend mind you." She chuckled a little. "See you Monday. Thanks again."

Jack got a quick hug before she walked away. He hoped that she would tell Ianto what happened, or else things could be very difficult to explain.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean and Castiel had managed to get in the classroom and into their sleeping-bags without too much commotion. Lying there about three feet from each other, Cas had reached his hand out and gestured for Dean to take it. Dean wanted to, and he did, but it felt the masculinity draining out of him as they laced their fingers together.

When he woke up a few hours later, the rest of the guys were up and about, and Castiel wasn't even in the room. "Finally awake sleepyhead." John teased him as he helped Ianto deflate the mattress.

On the plane he and Castiel were seated more than ten rows apart, and Dean got stuck between a man who snored through the whole flight and a young girl singing One Direction songs totally out of tune. She was almost whispering; practically only mouthing the lyrics, and was probably not aware that anyone could hear her since she had earplugs in and played the music rather loud.

"_The story of my life_

_I take her home_

_I drive all night_

_to keep her warm…"_

Dean could actually have sung along as well, because he for some reason knew a few of the songs. It was a little embarrassing, and he blamed Gwen.

As soon as they were back in Ohio, and on the bus home, he and Cas managed to find a seat together. There were absolutely no privacy there, so they didn't talk much, but managed to make plans for the next day.

Castiel knew that he could get away. His dad would be performing a wedding, and would be gone most of the day. Dean just had to shake off Sam and his dad for a few hours. That could be tricky, but if push came to shove, Dean decided to tell his brother the truth.

The thought wasn't as scary as he expected it to be, but he hoped that he didn't have to do it.

Where to go and what to do was not planned, but Dean had a few dollars so he could actually take Cas to the movie theater. "A movie maybe." The words was still haunting him, but this time it could actually happen.

It would also provide them with a little bit of privacy, although talking would be out of the question. Dean wasn't really sure that he was ready for 'the talk' anyway, so a movie would be perfect.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Rhiannon came to pick them up, and Gwen was already at the curb. They had to wait for more than ten minutes before Ianto came out. Gwen had been ready to call him as he emerged, but she tucked her phone away and waved for him to hurry up.

He didn't. It could look like he actually walked slower when he saw them. It still took less than a minute before he was next to the car, but he didn't utter a word as he threw his bag into the backseat and crawled in after it.

Gwen rolled her eyes and looked at Rhiannon before she got into the car as well.

They always argued about who would ride shotgun. This was the first time that Ianto skipped that, and both Gwen and Rhiannon almost got a little worried. Only almost. During the ride home the two talked about competition and graduation and the possibility for Gwen to come visit.

The car wasn't even parked properly before Ianto grabbed his bag and jumped out.

Gwen had her backpack in the trunk, so it took her a few more minutes to get inside. Uncle Ifan was staring at her as she came in. "What did you do to my son. He didn't say a word, just ran upstairs as if he had the devil on his tail."

Rhiannon was right behind her. "You know him. He can be a bit moody at times, and they didn't win, so maybe..." She left it there, but Gwen was not ready to let it go. "I'll check on him. I'm sure it's nothing."

She hugged her uncle. "Auntie is at work right?" She got a nod from him before she headed for the stairs. "I'll deal with Ianto. I'll make sure he's down for supper, I mean tea." Both Rhiannon and her father laughed, and her cousin patted her back. "You have been in the states way too long."

Gwen didn't bother getting offended by it. She ran upstairs and threw her bag into her room before she went over and knocked on Ianto's door. "Come on. It wasn't that bad. I'm coming in."

"_...would you sell your story to rolling stone_

_would you take the children away_

_and leave me alone_

_and smile in reassurance…"_

Ianto was lying on the bed, and was playing the music loud enough for her to recognize the lyrics even if he had his headphones on, and he didn't even notice that Gwen entered his room. She poked his shoulder to alert him of her presence, and it was not a happy camper that looked at her through misty eyes.

"What's the matter." Had Ianto been crying? Getting third place in the competition wasn't that bad, and Gwen suspected that there had to be another reason for his shitty mood. "Hey, cuz, Did something happen?"

Very slowly, Ianto pushed the earphones away as he stared at her. Pain was practically written on his face before it quickly changed to contempt. "How could you? I love him you know. I know he's not worth it, but, but you, my own kin…"

Gwen just stared at him dumbfounded for a second before she got it. "Jack? You're talking about Jack? What the hell did I do?" She threw her hands out and shook her head. "He's a big flirt, but I'm not falling for it."

Ianto closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "I saw you in the hall, clinging to him for dear life. What a nice little farewell scene." Her cousin turned around to face the wall and was about to put on the earphones again.

"_...I held the blade in trembling hands_

_prepared to make it but_

_just then the phone rang_

_i never had the nerve to make the final cut."_

With Roger Waters singing along through the small speakers, Gwen hoped that Ianto didn't pick that particular song on purpose. "You silly fool. Jack was just being a friend, and comforted me because I was crying. There was nothing more to it than that. I don't want him if they threw him at me, but I like him and if you and him got together it would be just awesome." She paused to look at Ianto. He was obviously listening but didn't say anything. "He is leaving soon though, and even if he is a good guy, I'm not sure he's worth the effort. He seems a bit bit flighty when it comes to romance."

She crawled into the bed and wrapped her arm around Ianto. "I didn't know that you were in it that deep, and I swear to you that I'd do whatever it takes to help you, but as I said; is it really worth the heartbreak?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

They got out of the car and stopped to look at the small, narrow two story house. John Winchester frowned a little as he peeked over at his sons. "It's been empty for almost a year, and will probably fall apart soon." He started to walk up the overgrown driveway. The pole that held the 'for sale' sign was leaning against the chainlink fence, and it looked like the smallest breeze could tip it over.

For more than three hours, they had been driving around Lima to look at affordable properties for the boys. This one was the cheapest, and they could easily see why. The roof seemed rather new, but the rest of it looked like it had just survived a tornado. One window was boarded up, and another was held together by duct tape. The door was probably supposed to be green, but the paint was darkened with mold, and didn't give them much hope for what the indoors looked like.

Except for a few spots here and there, the mold hadn't attacked the siding, but what at one point in time had been white paint, was more kind of grayish now, and a good portion of it was flaking off.

John sifted through the pile of papers in his hand to find the right one. "Here it is." He shook his head as he read from the paper. "Roof was new two years ago. It's a fixer-upper, but that's obvious." He huffed. "It's been on the market for a couple of months and the price was reduced only yesterday."

Sam had reached the front porch and grabbed onto the railing to take the two steps up to the front door. With a snap he held a piece of rotting wood in his hand. His father waved him back over. "No. This is not even worth thinking about. It's falling apart."

Dean was not ready to let it go. The house was only a few blocks away from Castiel's street, and the neighborhood in itself was very nice. "But it's cheap. We can fix it. Don't dismiss it before we have had a look inside."

Both Sam and his dad stared at him with surprise. "It's far away from McKinley as well, and there's no school bus from here unless he want's to change schools." John Winchester gestured towards his youngest son, and Sam shook his head vigorously. "Not a chance." He chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"But, but, erm, if it's not as bad as it looks… I mean, if it's fixable, we will have money left over and maybe Sam can have his own car?" Dean was satisfied with his own fast thinking, but could see that the other two weren't convinced. "Let's at least check it out first." He ripped the paper out of his father's hands and looked for the name of the seller. "It's 'by owner', we can call them right now."

Dean was tired of searching, and he also had a date later, so he wanted to get this over with fast. It was probably not the right approach for buying a house, but if this one turned out to be as bad as it seemed, they could keep looking in the morning.

His dad pulled out his phone. "Give me the number then. For this price it's worth a try." After dialing, he walked away waiting for someone to pick up. Dean looked at Sam and shrugged. "A fixer upper is not so bad. If the foundation is solid, and with a brand new roof, it might not be as horrible as it looks."

Sam scoffed. "New roof? Yeah, two years ago. God knows what could have happened under that roof since then." Suddenly he started laughing and pointed at Dean. "It's Cas. It's because of Cas. His house is nearby, right? Fuck you. I'm not living in this dump because you have a crush on the choirboy."

Their dad came back before Dean got a chance to reply. "Mr Hansson will be here in a minute. He sounded as he had just won the lottery, so this could turn out to be cheaper still."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Castiel didn't know if Dean would actually show, but he tried to think positive. His father was at church already, setting up for the wedding. Rachel was running back and forth getting ready for her shift, and Michael was lounging around being in her way.

The bickering between his two siblings took the edge away from his insecurities, and it also prevented them from noticing how nervous he was.

"_Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea_

_And frolicked in the autumn mist_

_in a land called Honnah Lee,"_

The radio was on, and Cas wondered what kind of program his brother was listening to. Mike would stay with them over the summer, but after that he was taking a substitute position as a pastor somewhere near Akron. Castiel liked having his brother there, but if this was the kind of music he was listening to he wasn't so sure anymore.

"_Noble kings and princes would bow whene'er they came_

_Pirate ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name, oh!"_

Without a car, Cas couldn't just leave. He could of course go for a stroll. but he was pretty sure that it would be looked upon as extremely strange. "Why don't I drive you to work, and you let me borrow your car?" He asked his sister as she sifted through the shoes to find the ones she wanted to wear.

"I don't think so." She looked up briefly before she dug out her white sneakers. "I'm not off until late, and you'd have to pick me up. No." She took off, leaving Cas in the hall.

"_One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more_

_And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar_

_His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain_

_Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane."_

"Hey! You can take my car, but then you have to chauffeur me around. I'm meeting some friends in the afternoon." MIchael turned down the radio and came towards him. "Why are you so desperate. Is there a girl waiting?"

Castiel could honestly tell him that there was no girl waiting for him to pick her up. "No, but sometimes I just want to feel a little independent." He definitely needed to find a job so that he could buy a car for himself. "I did make plans to meet a friend, but it's just… He would pick me up if I asked him. It's just… embarrassing that they always have to pick me up."

Michael shrugged. "If you don't mind driving me, you can take the car, but when I call you, you better be there." Castiel was fine with that arrangement, and he thanked his brother. "When do you have to go?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack was a little disappointed that Ianto left school yesterday without a word. Somebody told him that Ianto was the last one to leave, but Jack had looked for him, and didn't believe the rumors.

"_First, when there's nothing but a slow glowing dream_

_That your fear seems to hide deep inside your mind_

_All alone I have cried, silent tears full of pride…."_

Jack was posing in front of the mirror pretending to sing along. It could all have a simple explanation, and he wasn't the kind of guy who worried much, so he expected that the plans they made via texting would apply.

His parents offered to come pick him up, but he had already told them that he had a ride. He knew that Ianto didn't have a car of his own, but didn't really worry about that either. Any hitch could be resolved one way or the other, and if he had to stay in Lima for a few more days, it was okay.

"_What a feeling, being's believin'_

_I can have it all, now I'm dancing for my life…"_

Jack was trying to emulate the movements of the dancers on the video but failed. He didn't worry about that. Taking Ianto home to his parents was a big step, and Jack wasn't even sure why he wanted to do it. New York was waiting, and he didn't want anything or anyone to stop him from pursuing his dream. He tried to tell himself that it was just a silly crush, and that he and Ianto would part both knowing that it would never turn into anything else.

Ianto was perfectly aware of this; Jack had made sure to tell him, but the encounter in the restroom at the prom changed a few things. If Ianto was really in love, it would be quite cruel if the guy thought that it was more to this than met the eye.

"_What a feeling, being's believin'_

_I can have it all, now I'm dancing for my life_

_Take your passion and make it happen…"_

Hooking up with someone for the pleasure of it had never been a problem for Jack before. Falling for anyone was never in the plans. Jack knew that he had to let Ianto go, and he knew it was selfish to invite him home, but he couldn't help himself.

He had never felt like this about anyone before, and he worried that it would screw up everything. Compartmentalizing had been one of his biggest assets, and he counted on being able to do that in this case as well. If he could just tuck away the memory of Ianto, and stay focused on his main plan, it would eventually cease to bother him.

It wouldn't be fair to Ianto, but the guy had told him that he would be satisfied with one night.

Jack knew it wasn't so, but he couldn't worry about that. Ianto was old enough to face the consequences, so Jack would take what he could get, and trust that Ianto was capable of taking care of himself.

"_What a feeling_

_(I can really have it all)_

_What a feeling_

_(Pictures come alive when I call)_

_I can have it all_

_(I can really have it all)_

_Have it all_

_(Pictures come alive when I call)_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"You wouldn't have dropped the price if there were buyers lining up. If you don't sell now, it won't be worth more than the price of the lot, and that's not much considering the size." John Winchester was talking to the owner on the front porch as Sam and Dean explored the house.

In the small hall they had the kitchen to their left. On the right side, there was a small bedroom and a tiny bathroom. The livingroom was straight ahead. It wasn't very big, although it covered about half the square footage of the ground floor.

Sam jiggled the railing before he dared to ascend the stairs. It seemed solid, but he didn't trust it completely.

Above the living room in the back of the house there were two decent sized bedrooms. Not huge, but more than acceptable. The bathroom above the kitchen had a tub and a small shower, and it looked better than any of the other rooms in the house.

Dean bent down and sniffed at the baseboards as they walked through the house. "No mold. It smells old, but dry." He rolled his eyes. "Well, except for… you know." Sam knew, but it wasn't discouraging.

The boarded up window, which they now knew was for the downstairs bathroom, must have been open to the elements for quite some time before somebody noticed. The tiles in there weren't seriously water damaged, but water had seeped through to the hall. The front door had also been affected, and the mold was threatening to take it over completely. What they had seen on the front was nothing compared to the inside of it.

"It was my aunt's. She didn't have any children so I kind of knew that I would inherit it, but she refused to sell." Mr Hansson was explaining why the house had been empty for so long. "She had a stroke about a year ago, and she never recovered."

He and his wife had to take care of her, and with five children and full time jobs they didn't have time to worry about the house. "She died three months ago, and after getting the papers I went to look at it." The man looked sad. "With the new roof and recent electrical and insulation work, we thought it would be fine."

John Winchester patted the guy's back. "I understand. Taking care of loved ones is more important than anything." Sam and Dean exchanged a look. If only their dad believed his own words their lives could have been very different.

"Let me talk to my boys. Maybe we can make a deal." John came over and threw a peek through the front door. "Is the rest of the house as bad as this?" He whispered as he covered his nose. "Actually, it's not…" Dean got a rap on his arm. "Keep it down." Their dad made a gesture to emphasize his words.

"It looks good. The upstairs are in good condition, the kitchen is old, but functional. The basement is is moist, but a heater could possibly fix that. " Dean was whispering now. "Except for the water damage right here," he nodded towards the floor where they were standing, "and that the bathroom there is unusable at the moment, it's solid."

Their dad nodded. "Okay, but do you want it?" Again he gestured for them to keep it down. Both Sam and Dean understood. They looked at each other, and it wasn't hard for Sam to tell that Dean was all in. "Yes we want it."

They both knew what was going on, and they scooted into the kitchen before they hugged each other. "We could have a house very soon." Dean whispered into Sam's ear before he sat down on the lonely stool by the counter.

There was a few other pieces of furniture left in the house, but Mr Hansson had obviously got rid of most of the loose parts while taking care of his aunt and promising her not to sell.

"I don't think it will happen. I mean, I have the last word, but I have to listen to my sons. With a significant discount that will leave us enough money to fix it up, we could reconsider, but…" John Winchester was shaking his head as he reached his hand out to Mr Hansson.

The guy didn't take it. "I don't know. We need to cover our losses. We had to pay the property tax and the electricity and the fees to..." He didn't get to finish. John lifted his hands. "I see. Okay then. Thanks for coming and I'm sorry for wasting your time."

Sam and Dean had overheard every word, and now they looked at each other in fear. Was their dad about to let the house go now? Dean seemed quite ready to run out there, but Sam managed to hold him back.

"I can think about it." Mr Hansson looked up at the house, and the boys hurried to get away from the window. "Let me talk to my wife and get back to you."

Sam had moved over to the front door and tried to look discontent as he stepped out on the porch. He frowned at his dad as he mockingly covered his nose. "Let us keep the key so we can assess the damage more closely." His dad smiled at the man. "You talk with your wife; I talk with my sons, and maybe we can come to an agreement in the morning."


	41. Here is a house, here is a baby

Ianto and Castiel are bothered by different struggles in their love life. John is meddling with things he has no business with. Gwen has a secret of her own, but it soon get shared with members of her family. Castiel gets a tour.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers - M: Alex North, L: Hy Zaret**

**Too Young - Nat King Cole - M: Sidney Lippman, L: Sylvia Dee**

**Take Me to Church - Hozier - M/L:Hozier**

* * *

Ianto stared at his phone as if the words would just pop into the screen and send themselves. He wanted to text Jack, but he had no idea what to say. He did have a chance to talk with him before they left school, but his own tendency to jump to conclusions had ruined that.

Technically it wasn't so. Ianto prided himself in facing every problem with a mind to solve it. He was renowned for being rational and grounded for the most part. With Jack, it was different. Ianto was totally incapable of thinking straight on the matter. and it was very bothersome.

They did make a plan, so there was really no reason to talk about it until they met on Monday for the senior graduation, but Ianto still felt the need. He had promised to take Jack home, but he had no car. Rhiannon would easily let him take hers if it was for a day, but Jack had invited him to stay overnight, and possibly over two nights.

Gwen would leave Tuesday morning, and he had to go with her to the airport along with his mother. Ianto knew he would miss her profoundly. They would still stay in touch and possibly video-chat almost every day, but it was different having her there. She was like a sister. Rhiannon was so much older than him that they never interacted on that level.

With determination, he sifted through his contact list and dialed a number.

"Hi. I need to borrow a car for two days. I know you have a spare, and I beg you." Ianto held his breath, waiting for John to reply. "Why? Where are you going?" His friend didn't sound negative per se, but Ianto could almost feel that he suspected the worst.

"I promised to take Jack home, and before you start fretting about it, I will tell you that I know what I'm doing, and I'm am not going to get hurt. Trust me to take care of myself. Jack will be out of my life in a few days time, but I want to go with him just to, to, erm, I just need to do it."

The silence at the other end was a little disturbing, and Ianto wondered if the connection was lost. "You know how I feel about this." John sounded very serious. "You can borrow my car. It's not because I support your actions, but I don't want you to have to ask around." He paused, and Ianto seized the opportunity. "Oh, thank you thank you, I love you. I will…" He got cut off by John screaming into the phone. "Shut up, I wasn't done."

Ianto did shut up, and he wondered what kind of morality speech John would give him. "I believe that you need this. He's your first crush, and he is truly a good guy deep down. I have to admit that I don't think it will lead anywhere, but if it's what you want… Don't say anything, I'm still not done."

There was no need for Ianto to utter a word, he was just curious about what John had to say. "Okay." He had to confirm that he understood before John continued. "Whatever happens, I'll be there for you. If my predictions are wrong, I'll own up to it and support the two of you, but if I'm right, I will comfort you anyway you want."

That was almost like a come-on. Did John actually know what he was saying? "Anyway I want? Really? Any way?" Ianto wasn't sure he should joke about it. John had just agreed to lend him his car, so it would probably be better if he just thanked him.

"Fuck you. Twisting my words like that is not cool." John emitted an audible huff before he chuckled a little. "Sure baby. If you want, but I think it's better if we keep it on the friendly side."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_Whoa, my love_

_My darling_

_I've hungered for your touch_

_A long, lonely time."_

The music trickling out of the radio didn't help Castiel's state of mind much. He looked at the clock on his phone. It was almost five and he hadn't heard a word from Dean. He could of course send a text himself, but he knew that Dean was with his father, and didn't want to bother him.

"_And time goes by so slowly_

_And time can do so much_

_Are you still mine?"_

His dad was still at church, but would be home shortly. The wedding was over a while ago, and Cas knew that unless he was out of the house before he came back, it would take a while to get away.

Michael was procrastinating. He had changed his outfit three times already and wanted Castiel to give his opinion. "Going out with some friends. Right. You are meeting a girl, aren't you?" He shook his head at his brother when the guy came downstairs to show off yet another outfit.

"Maybe. I'm going out with a few friends, but there is a girl…" Michael gestured for Cas to assess his clothing. "I like her, but… What about you. At your age I was in love with all the cheerleaders, and also at least six other girls at school. Is there anybody special?"

"_Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea_

_To the open arms of the sea_

_Lonely rivers sigh, "Wait for me, wait for me…"_

The Righteous Brothers was still crooning in the background, and it was beginning to get bothersome. Castiel shook his head. "No, not really." He knew that his expression could easily give away the fact that he was lying, but he hoped Michael wouldn't notice.

"It's someone." His brother was singing the words as he cocked his head. "You're hiding something, aren't you?" He walked over to find a pair of shoes. It wasn't easy since Rachel had been turning the pile upside down, but eventually he succeeded.

"_...I've hungered, hungered for your touch_

_A long, lonely time."_

"Would you even tell me if it was a boy? I'm pretty sure it could be, but I don't want to jump to conclusions. Don't even answer that." Michael was out the door before Cas was able to digest what he had said.

"_...Are you still mine?_

_I need your love…"_

Cas went over and turned off the radio before he followed his brother out and entered the car, while trying to pretend that the words had not been uttered. "Where can I take you?" Cas put the car in reverse and pulled out of the driveway not looking at his brother.

How could he know? Castiel's head was spinning as he drove towards the place where Michael was going to meet his friends. Luckily, his brother was busy checking messages on his phone, and didn't say anything during the ride.

"Okay. I'll call you later," Mike jumped out of the car, "and I'm sorry if I offended you."

Castiel didn't even bother to ponder on it, but he was pleased that Michael didn't seem horrified by the idea of having a queer brother. It could of course change if Cas ever dared to confirm it, but for now, it was kind of comforting.

Just as he picked up his phone to call Dean - he had decided that he couldn't just sit around and wait any longer - it rang.

"I'm so so sorry." Dean didn't even wait for Cas to say anything before he started apologizing. "I was tied up with something, er, big, and I couldn't get away. I will tell you all about it, and I'm sure you will forgive me."

Cas was a little bit annoyed, but they hadn't really agreed on a time, even if 'afternoon' had been mentioned. "It's okay. I did start to wonder if you'd chickened out though." He tried to laugh a little, but didn't really manage to make it sound genuine. He had worried more than he cared to admit even to himself.

"I can pick you up now." Dean sounded chipper enough. "I can be there in ten."

There was no reason for Dean to come and pick him up, and Castiel was not far from Dean's place anyway. "You don't have to. I have a car, and I'm in town. I can pick _you_ up."

Castiel felt stupid. Why did he even bother to borrow a car? If Dean had something planned that would take a while, Michael could suddenly call and disrupt the whole evening. Cas cursed silently to himself as he drove towards the address Dean had told him to come to. It wasn't far from his own house, and he could easily have walked there from home. Not knowing what they were going to do there, Cas decided to have an open mind about it.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

John gave it a few minutes before he dialed Jack's number. He knew he was butting into things that he had no business with, but he couldn't help himself.

"Hi John." Jack sighed heavily as he answered, and John suspected that the guy knew why he called. "What's up?" It didn't sound as if Jack was particularly interested to know the answer, but it didn't discourage John much.

"Ianto is taking you home. Didn't you have any other way to get there? I could have taken you." He tried to say the words in a friendly voice, but it did not work. He sounded like a whiny twelve year old.

Jack must have noticed. "Yeah, of course you could," He huffed audibly. "My parents would have picked me up if I needed them to, but I wanted Ianto to do it. Do you mind?" He didn't even try to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

This was just silly. John didn't call to have an argument with Jack; he just called because he was curious about the guy's intentions, and if he needed to pick up the pieces of Ianto when he came back.

"Sorry. It's none of my business, I know, but I just… I'm looking out for him, and you kinda promised." Jack scoffed at the other end. "I did not promise anything. I said I'd think about it." He fell silent. John knew that it was technically correct, but hesitated to say anything.

"I think I could fall for him, but it makes everything so difficult." There was a whole new tone to Jack's voice now. "I just want to spend some time with him, and explore this a little. I'm not gonna hurt him. He knows that I'm leaving."

For a moment, John felt sorry for Jack. The guy had staked out his future without taking anything else into consideration. Falling in love was one of those things that just happened. It would never be a roll call or a set list for that, and Jack was possibly in a serious pickle.

"Jack. For crying out loud. If you are falling for him; if you already fell, can you at least be honest about it to yourself. It doesn't have to spoil your chances in New York." John knew Ianto well enough; the guy was normally quite grounded. "Please don't be wishy-washy about it. A long distance relationship could suck, but if you want to try, I'm pretty sure Ianto can handle it." He could hear that Jack cleared his throat. "Well, yes, I mean… I know, I understand what you're saying, but he is so young. He's not ready." Jack paused and John seized the opportunity. "Too young? Too young to get his heart broken? Yeah, and you are so old and wise. Stop kidding yourself. In a few months time it could be over anyway, but don't run off to Broadway giving him that silly excuse." John had worked himself up a bit. "No matter what you said to make him agree to drive you, you can't just lead him on like that. If you are falling for him, be honest. Tell him. He is perfectly aware that you will not give up your dream. We all know that you already have a part in a show."

There was a moment of complete silence on the line before Jack finally replied. "I hear you. I do agree with you, but it's crazy in New York, and I'm afraid I will be too caught up in it to care for my own heart, let alone Ianto's."

It made sense on a twisted level, but John couldn't just let that be the last word. "So invite him there then. Let him keep you feet on the ground. He is calm and sensible; he can help you."

John knew that Jack was a good guy, and he did understand that this was a challenge for him. "If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. You are both young, and will get over it if it doesn't work, but you owe it to Ianto, and yourself, to give it more than a couple of days at your place."

He wasn't sure what happened at Jack's end, but he could hear faint music through the line. He thought for a second that Jack had just put down the phone and left.

"_They try to tell us we're too young_

_Too young to really be in love_

_They say that love's a word_

_A word we've only heard_

_But can't begin to know the meaning of."_

"I couldn't help it. This conversation made me think of a song, and I just had to find it." Jack was humming along for a few beats. "Sometimes people find love early in life. It's possible." John wasn't sure if the 'Ianto and Jack connection' would apply, but it was kind of romantic to think about.

"Possibly." John didn't know if this conversation changed anything, but he left it there. "I'm sorry for butting in, but you know…" As Nat King Cole continued singing in the background, he ended the call.

"_And yet we're not too young to know_

_This love will last though years may go_

_And then some day they may recall_

_We were not too young at all."_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean was standing on the sidewalk when Castiel parked, and he came running over to open the door for him. "Tadaa. My new home." He pointed towards the house at the end of a short unpaved driveway. It was a dump. Not as bad as their current abode, but the house looked like it could fall apart if you knocked the door too hard.

"Erm, really?" Cas tried to hide his discontent, but didn't feel he managed that well. Dean grabbed his hand and practically pulled him out of the car. "It's not as bad as it looks. but it does need some work."

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of a shabby-looking front door. Dean stuck a key in the lock. "It's not technically ours yet, but it will be." He opened the door and gestured for Castiel to enter. "Let me show you around."

The unmistakable scent of mold tickled his nostrils, and Cas wondered if the Winchester family had lost their mind. "The water damage is limited to right here, erm, and there." Dean pointed to a door to their right. "The rest of the house is fine."

Castiel wasn't so sure about that, but he was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. "The kitchen is old, but functional, but we need a plumber to do something so we can install a dishwasher." Dean kept talking and didn't seem to be aware that Cas hadn't said a word since they entered.

"The living room is there," he pointed to the back of the house, "and we have three bedrooms, and two, erm, well, one and a half baths." Dean was already halfway up the stairs as Castiel threw peek into the room at the bottom of it. "That the small bedroom. My dad will get that, but come on."

On the top floor, Dean showed him the two decent-sized bedrooms, before he dragged him along to a bathroom that looked like it belonged in a different house. It had obviously been renovated quite recently. "You see. It's not so bad on the inside. What do you think?" Dean was leaning on the windowsill on the landing, and Cas could see Michael's car on the street behind him.

"I, I don't know what to say. Is this the reason you didn't call earlier?" If the Winchesters were buying a house, it was a very good explanation for the fact that Dean waited so long to call him. "Yes. Yes it is. I'm sorry, I should have told you. I was tired of looking, and I was ready to abandon the quest around two o'clock, but then we found this house."

Castiel nodded slowly a couple of times. "Okay, and then you didn't call regardless?" He didn't want to be angry, and he tried to calm himself. Dean just shrugged. "My dad called the owner and there were some negotiations involved. I got caught up in it. I'm sorry, but we didn't set a specific time." He cocked his head to the side as he smiled apologetically.

That was correct, but Cas couldn't quite forget the feeling he had as he waited for the call. "I thought you wouldn't call at all, and I was sad and frustrated. You could have sent a text."

Dean pulled away from the sill and walked up to Castiel. "I'm sorry. You're right, but buying a house is not something we do everyday. As soon as we got the key, I made a plan to steal it so that I could take you here. It took a little while." Cas could feel Dean's hand on his back. "My dad didn't even want it. I had to convince him. I was happy that it looked better on the inside, because I knew that your house isn't that far away."

If the procrastination was due to the fact that Dean wanted to live in this neighborhood - in Castiel's neighborhood - everything was totally excusable. For a split second, Cas wondered if he ever could trust Dean to be on time, but when he felt his lips on his neck, he was unable to think straight anymore.

"I can help you move in. The church has a van." Castiel spoke with Dean's lips on his. "That'll be great." Dean pushed his pelvis forward and Cas could feel that they were equally excited. It was kind of scary, but he couldn't help pushing back.

"This is not the place. I want to… I don't even know what I, erm, I want you." Dean sighed heavily as his hand traveled up Castiel's back under the t-shirt. Castiel felt exactly the same, although he did his best to quelch the desire. "We have time. You're going to stay, and we're going to live very close to each other." He was well aware that he was panting as he spoke, but it couldn't be helped.

"_My lover's got humor_

_She's the giggle at the funeral_

_Knows everybody's disapproval…"_

Castiel hurried to pick up his phone. He could see the surprised look on Dean's face, but didn't have time to explain. "Can you pick me up now? The others want to see a movie, but I saw it already." Michael lowered his voice a little bit. "She didn't show up anyway."

That was it then. His and Dean's first date ended almost before it had started. Cas could feel that he was about to cry, but managed to compose himself. Dean wrapped an arm around him and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry. We have time." Dean repeated Castiel's words from a few minutes ago. "We're practically neighbors."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gwen did not feel well when she turned out of bed that morning. She knew perfectly well why, even if she hadn't gotten it confirmed by other means than her own common sense. She wanted to tell the world, but figured that it would be more fair if she told Rhys first.

It didn't work out.

When she exited the bathroom and ran into Rhiannon, her cousin gave her a crooked smile as she walked over to the linen closet to fetch a couple of towels. "Morning sickness? Don't try to fool me." She kept her voice down as she patted Gwen's shoulder. "I won't tell."

She wasn't quiet enough. The door to Ianto's room was open, and even if it was a couple of meters away, he had obviously heard every word. "Really? Really?" He came running out in his boxers and grabbed Gwen's arm as she was about to hide in her room. "Gwen. You have to tell me. You're leaving tomorrow. I want to know."

Gwen looked at her two cousins. Rhiannon was standing in the hall behind Ianto with her hand over her mouth, staring apologetically into the ground. Ianto was clenching his hands together. looking at her with anticipation.

"I don't know. Didn't take a test, but…" She blushed a little. "I'm like more than four weeks late, and I have been nauseous every morning for a while." She didn't know if she should continue. "At first I thought I was just a hangover, but when I didn't even drink…"

"Late for what?" Ianto looked at her dumbfounded for a split second. "Oh, yeah, right." Then he furrowed his brows. "But Rhys was here… it's a long time ago. What did you do?"

Rhiannon saved her from more prying questions. "Stop it. It takes a little while for the morning sickness to come, and as far as I know, Gwen hasn't had regular periods in her life, so it's probably Rhys. Is it?"

Gwen startled a little when she met Rhiannon's eyes. She didn't look completely convinced. "Of course. Of course it's his. Unless the holy ghost…" She rolled her eyes. "Please don't tell anyone. I already booked an appointment with my doctor at home."

Ianto looked ecstatic. "It's just awesome. Are you sure you want to keep it a secret? This would be a great going away present to the choir. They will love it."

She cocked her head and gave Ianto a piercing stare. "But I don't know for sure, and I don't want to get too excited before it's confirmed."

Ianto looked at his watch. "But we have time though. Don't pee just yet, let me run to the store." He headed back to his room and before Gwen got a chance to say anything he came back out with pants on, struggling to get a t-shirt over his head. "Hold it. I'll be back in a few."

Rhiannon and Gwen looked at each other. "Just as well." Her cousin shrugged. "Ma and Pa have left already, and Johnny worked the nightshift so he's in a coma right now. You can just take the test and get it confirmed. Ianto and I won't tell anybody until Rhys is informed."


	42. GRADUATION

**It's graduation day. Both Dean and Jack are surprised of how emotional they become about it. John insults Gwen involuntarily, but is forgiven. Jack lies to his parents about why he want to stay in Lima for another day. Gwen shares a secret with Jo. Jack has nothing to do that night, but he eats his humble pie and begs for company.**

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Mashup with:**

**With a little help from my friends - The Beatles - M/L: Lennon, McCartney and**

**We Are Young - Fun Ft. Janelle Monáe - M/L: Ruess, Dost, Antonoff, Bhasker**

* * *

Seeing his brother sitting there in his cap and gown with the rest of the seniors was actually a little emotional for Sam. Dean had always said that he didn't want to make a big deal out of it, and that he could graduate without all the pomp and circumstance, but Sam knew that his brother had downplayed it because they didn't have the money back when the stuff was ordered.

In the evening before the main event, Mr Evans had called and told Dean that he could borrow his old one. After the call, Dean had hid in the alcove for the longest time, and both Sam and their dad left him alone.

Now, they were just waiting for the principal handing out the diplomas. They had to sit through a couple of speeches, and then the orchestra played. Sam could see Charlie in the back with her violin.

"Do you know that Castiel guy? Castiel is an interesting name by the way." His dad leaned over to whisper into Sam's ear. Sam didn't know what to say. He knew Cas fairly well, but he didn't know why his dad was interested. "Sure. He is a friend of Dean, and I have met him plenty of times."

John Winchester nodded, "He didn't look like the kind of guy Dean would befriend. I just, there was something odd about the way they interacted." Sam agreed with his dad. Castiel was not the kind of guy Dean would have hung out with in the past. As far as he knew they hadn't hung out that much anyway, but daddy didn't need to know. Sam had inside knowledge that he wasn't prepared to share with anyone.

"They have rehearsed together. I think their voices fit or something. I don't know. He's a nice guy, and Dean needs to hang out with nice guys." Sam smiled at his dad. "I'm happy that he have found friends like that. He didn't always pick the best guys to hang out with before."

He got another nod from his dad as the orchestra faded out. The main event was starting, and Sam focused on the stage. "He seems a little queer. I could be wrong, but you don't think that Dean…?" The question hung there for the remainder of the ceremony, and Sam hoped that his dad would forget about it before the event was over.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

John was excited. He'd just got the okay from his mother that they could go to Europe for their summer vacation. Visiting Gwen was part of the plan, although his mom would rather go to the French riviera or see the Sistine Chapel than to spend time in Wales.

"I'm coming." He was leaning over the backrest of her chair. They were seated alphabetically, so she was sitting in the front row, while John was placed in row two. "Uh? Coming where? It's starting. What are you talking about?" Gwen sounded a little annoyed.

The orchestra was almost done with their performance, and John knew he was running out of time. "I'm coming to England. I'm coming to visit you at the end of the summer."

Gwen turned to him and gave him an evil stare. "You won't find me in England. I live in Wales, and if you want to be welcomed there, you should learn the difference." With a scoff she turned around to look at the stage.

John cursed to himself. He knew the difference, but he'd been too excited to heed it. He patted her back. "Sorry. I'm so sorry, I'm just an ignorant American. I know. I really do know." The main ceremony was starting and John had to get back to his seat. Just as he was about to walk away, Gwen turned to him. "Tosser. Americans can't be expected to know these things, so I think I'll let you get away with it this time."

John knew it was a subtle insult, but he didn't care. He knew her well enough; she wouldn't hold it against him for long, and he decided to catch up with her after it was all over. As he sat down he threw a peek at her, and she looked back at him at the same time. He wasn't sure, but it looked like she mouthed; 'looking forward to your visit', and he perceived it as her way of telling him that he was forgiven.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack was proud. He didn't think that the graduation would affect him so much, but when he shook principal Schuester's hand after getting the diploma, he had a small lump in his throat.

It wasn't like he needed it for anything really. That his spanish had improved significantly was good, and the general knowledge he'd picked up could possibly come in handy, but the whole thing had really been a postponement of the inevitable.

His parents had been very disappointed that he wouldn't go back with them that evening, but they did understand that he wanted to say a proper goodbye to his friends.

"I may not ever see them again. Lima is like a bump in the road, and most of my friends are moving to go to different schools anyway." Gwen came strolling by as he explained the procrastination to his parents when they showed up for the graduation. "Like this one." He stopped her in the stride and presented her to his mother and father. "She is going all the way back to the UK. This is my last chance to hang out with her for the longest time."

Gwen was twisting her hands, and even if she smiled and greeted them, she was clearly in a hurry to get somewhere. He let her go after a quick hug, and was happy that she didn't reveal that the two of them had no plans to hang out that evening.

Jack had to admit to himself that he felt more ready for the New York adventure now than he did two years ago. Having the diploma, and not being perceived as a dropout, could help when he applied for work.

Working with Rachel on her show, he would be put up in a flat with a couple of other extras. He had no idea who they were, but didn't really care. The only thing he was sure of, was that it was cheap and that he would have a few bucks left over every week. If the show turned out to be a success, he would have a steady gig for a while, and that was more than he had the last time.

He'd done this before, so he knew to save every penny this time around. There would be no partying or other frivolous activities because he knew that a time could come when he had to wait tables to make ends meet.

How Ianto would fit into all of this was still a puzzle, but the next few days could solve some of it.

As he sat back down, John had caught up with him and slumped down. They had been seated next to each other according to the list, but Jack had done his best to avoid talking to the guy. He knew perfectly well how John felt, and after the phone conversation, Jack didn't have anything more to say.

"Do you have a lot of stuff. or will it fit into a sedan?" John leaned over and whispered. "The van is kinda, I don't know, kinda soccer mom style." Jack had no idea what the guy was referring to. and this was not the time for a discussion about cars. "What?" He whispered back as he watched the McCarthy twins enter the stage.

"Ianto needed to borrow a car so he could take you home. What car does he need. You can't take my mom's Mercedes, she'd flip out." John eyes were also focused on the guys on stage. Jack wanted to laugh. After all the commotion John had stirred up regarding this, he went ahead and let Ianto borrow a car. "A sedan is fine. I don't have that much stuff. Thank you though, I'm, erm, I don't know what to say."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Her last performance in New Directions was coming up. Gwen didn't know how she was going to sing with that big lump in her throat, but didn't want to miss it for the world. Still in their caps and gowns, the seniors of the choir walked towards the stage as soon as everybody had gotten their diploma.

Ianto, Castiel, and Jo were already waiting in the back, while Charlie had to climb between cellos and bassoons and a few other instruments to get up there with them. For a moment Gwen worried that Garth and Kevin had gone AWOL, but then she could see them come running down the aisle.

Sam Evans came up there as well and presented the choir for the crowd. Most all of them knew who they were regardless, but there could of course be a few parents and grandparents that hadn't heard about them. As soon as Sam was done, he gestured for Dean to step up.

"_What would you think if I sang out of tune_

_Would you stand up and walk out on me?"_

The band and the orchestra were quiet. For the first lines, Dean was strumming his guitar and singing alone until Ianto joined him with his guitar. It was the first time Ianto had played it in public like this.

"_Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song_

_And I'll try not to sing out of key."_

Dean threw an encouraging glance over at Ianto as the two of them sang together. For the next few lines more and more voices were added.

"_Oh I get by with a little help from my friends_

_Mm I get high with a little help from my friends_

_Mm gonna try with a little help from my friends_

Dean and Ianto were still playing, but now the band and a few orchestra members had joined in. John and Jack collaborated on the next part.

"_What do I do when my love is away?_

_(Does it worry you to be alone?)"_

"_How do I feel by the end of the day?_

_(Are you sad because you're on your own?)"_

After the next chorus, all the girls stepped in front of the guys for the bridge. Unique took the lead, and all the others were snapping their fingers as they followed.

"_(Do you need anybody?)_

_I need somebody to love_

_(Could it be anybody?)_

_I want somebody to love."_

During Brad's improvised piano-solo, the sophomores and the juniors in the choir started pushing the oldies away, and as they stepped up to the edge of the stage the tune had changed.

"_Tonight, we are young_

_So let's set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter than the sun."_

They were dancing and jumping and hugging each other, as they made sure no senior came forward.

"_Tonight, we are young_

_So let's set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter than the sun."_

They pulled apart and opened up for the older members to join them, and as they kept singing the chorus of that song, the seniors went back to the Beatles, in a more upbeat fashion.

"_Oh I get by with a little help from my friends_

_Mm I get high with a little help from my friends_

_Oh I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends."_

"_Tonight, we are young_

_So let's set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter than the sun."_

_Tonight, we are young_

_So let's set the world on fire_

_We can burn brighter than the sun_

"_Oh I get by with a little help from my friends."_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Some of the other students in the audience started throwing their caps in the air, while the rest cheered and clapped. Dean didn't know if they cheered for New Directions or just because High School was finally over, and they were graduates.

It didn't really matter. His friends on stage hugged it out between them. Gwen and Jo cried, and didn't even try to hide it. Kevin, John and Unique all wiped their eyes clandestinely. It wasn't hard to see that the whole thing was a little emotional for everybody, but the rest of the guys managed to keep it cheerful, although Dean himself could feel the sting in his eyes.

When he went over to hug Castiel, he got a response that he hadn't anticipated. Cas just let their cheeks touch briefly before he pulled away and turned to Jo and Gwen who were clinging to each other talking gibberish between the sobs.

They hurried to pull Castiel into their embrace, and the guy didn't even throw a peek back at Dean. He did however give a very brief nod towards the crowd on the floor. It wasn't easy to actually pick up on his line of view, but then Dean saw his father and his brother in the back, staring right at him.

He had to chuckle a little to himself. So Cas didn't trust himself to act decent if the two of them came too close. It was kind of nice to think of, although it could all have a whole different and more disturbing explanation.

For Dean that was not an option at this moment. He felt that his - and his brother's - luck had changed. Things were looking good for them right now, and that Cas behaved a little strangely was not going to ruin Dean's mood.

The papers were signed, and except for a few small issues that his dad would take care off during the week, they now owned a house. The manager at the garage had offered Dean more hours over the summer, and even if it wasn't full time, it would still add a good portion of cash to their household expenses.

Jo's family ran a little B&amp;B in the summer, and they had hired Sam as a handyman. What kind of handy-work they expected his brother to do was beyond Dean, unless they needed him to maintain their internet connection. Although his brother wasn't all thumbs, he was - in Dean's mind - not especially skilled in much more than nerdy stuff. Dean believed that it had more to do with their wish to keep an eye on Jo and Sam.

Sam had gladly accepted even if it would be only a few hours a week. He wouldn't get payed that much either, but it would help..

While he and Sam got ready to attend graduation, their father had spent the whole morning at the house to assess what needed to be done there. Bargaining with the owner, he did manage to knock the price down even more, and that left them with a few thousand to fix the place up. That was after putting away some money for a car for Sam.

Things were looking good, and even if this moment was a bit rough in the tear ducts, Dean couldn't help smiling. He had a house, he had a job, and he had Castiel; and in the fall he could possibly attend Lima community college on a part time basis.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jo didn't know how it was possible to shed so many tears in one go. She would be severely dehydrated when this was over. She and Gwen clung together the whole time as they walked around and hugged the rest of the guys in the choir.

As they pulled Charlie into their embrace, Unique came over. She had been the unofficial leader of the Glee club until this moment. She kissed them all on both cheeks before she handed Charlie a key. "It's not much; it's more a token. It's the key to the choir-room, and I think you are the one best suited to fill my shoes. It doesn't mean much. The choir is a true democracy with a dictator as a director." She giggled a little and nodded towards Mr Evans. They all knew what she meant, and if it was possible, Jo cried even more.

A tear ran down Charlie's cheek as she took the key. "We will have to make a vote when Glee club starts up in the fall, but I'm grateful for the gesture." She wiped the tear away before she hugged Unique.

After that, Jo and Gwen got a moment alone. Jo wanted to tell her how much she would be missed, but Gwen stopped her. "I know. I'll miss you to pieces, but I want to tell you something." After looking around as to make sure they didn't have anybody else nearby, Gwen leaned in and whispered: "Don't say a word, I'm only telling you because you have been my best friend here." She threw another peek over her shoulder before she lowered her voice even more. "I'm pregnant."

As if she'd got a punch in her stomach, Jo lost her breath for a second. "What? Really? What?" She wanted to ask all sorts of questions, but Gwen shushed her. "Nobody knows. Well, Ianto knows, but I didn't want to tell anybody until I've told Rhys."

They got pulled apart before they could say anything about it. Jack practically lifted Gwen off the ground and swung her around. "Careful, she's…" Jo choked on her own words, remembering that it was supposed to be a secret. Gwen shook her head and smiled as she laughed and gave Jack a kiss in the cheek. "I'll miss you too, but I will definitely take the trip if you ever come to West End."

Jo didn't know what that meant, and didn't get time to ponder on it before she got the same treatment as Gwen. "I'll miss you too. little one." Jack kissed her on the cheek as he put her down. "Little one? Are you insulting me?" Jo tried to sound offended, but didn't quite manage. She was the shortest one in the choir, and had heard that nickname a few times.

The show was over, and Mr evans gestured for them to gather for a quick bow towards the audience before they exited the stage. Nobody down there seemed to notice as they were busy hugging each other and their family members.

Jo managed to grab Gwen's hand as they ran over to join the crowd. "Why don't you come over after?" Gwen practically shouted as the two of them closed in on Gwen's family. "I'm sure it's okay. And if you want, you can come with to the airport tomorrow."

Jo had actually made plans to hang out with Sam later, but this was big, and she was pretty sure he'd understand if she chose to go with Gwen instead.

"Sure, if it's okay with your family, I'll be happy to."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean was still hanging with some of the choir members, but the crowd was starting to scatter as the seniors caught up with their families. Sam knew he'd see most of them again before the summer was over, so he didn't bother to partake in the hugging; only Jack and Gwen would be gone for good very soon, but he didn't know the two of them that well.

When Jo came over with Gwen in tow, he reached his hand out to say goodbye to the Welshie, but she pushed his hand away and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'll miss you too. Take care of her, and don't do anything I wouldn't do." She smiled and nodded towards Jo as she pulled away. "I'm going to take her away from you today. I hope it's okay?".

Sam wasn't thrilled, but understood perfectly when Jo cancelled their plans. He had a lot of things on his plate anyway, so it wasn't such a big deal. Their dad was leaving in at the end of the week, and wanted to spend as much time as possible at the new house. He had already purchased a new front door, and he had also been calling around to get a deal on the work he was not able to do himself.

Sam had been a little torn between hanging out with Dean on his big day and also helping out at the house, or spending time with Jo. It solved itself nicely when Jo told him that she was invited to Gwen's farewell dinner. Sam knew that they would spend a good portion of the summer together regardless, so it wasn't such a big deal.

Jack and Dean came towards where Sam and his dad were standing. The former patted Sam on the back. "Well, this is it. I'm leaving tomorrow, and I haven't made any plans to come back, but you never know. Take care of your brother, and make sure he practices. He should definitely start a band."

Dean rolled his eyes and looked away for a moment. "Sure. I'll look into that, and if it happens, you better show up for my first gig." He chuckled as he grabbed Jack's hand. "And good luck to you. I hope it won't be the last time I see you."

Daddy Winchester hadn't said much during the farewell scenes around them, but he'd seemed a little stressed at the end.

"I'm very proud of you son, but isn't it time we took off?" He nodded towards the door. "People are leaving now, and I wanted to get some work done today."

The lack of enthusiasm for Dean's achievements was obviously noticed by Jack, and the guy looked rather surprised. Dean patted his friend's back and shook his head. "It's okay. Well. I hope to see you again sometime. Maybe we'll come to New York and watch your show when you become famous." He smiled and was about to walk away when Jack pulled him into an embrace. Dean seemed a little embarrassed, but then he hugged him back.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack procrastinated before he had to leave with his parents; they wanted to go with him to Rachel's house and help him pack before he had to take off to be with his friends. He didn't like to lie to them, but he really wanted Ianto to take him home. That he had to find something to do the rest of the evening was a minor concern. If he had to go to a restaurant alone, and sit there like an idiot, he'd do that just to make sure that nobody found out that all his friends were otherwise engaged.

John's mother was throwing her son a graduation party, and none of the choir members were invited. Gwen would leave tomorrow, and the Jones' were having a dinner for her on her last night in Lima. Ianto had to be there, and they hadn't invited any outsiders either.

Jane and Unique also had private parties to attend, and Dean would be busy with the house his dad had just bought.

Hanging out with any of the sophomores and juniors in the choir wasn't an option. Cas or Charlie were the only ones he could see himself having a bit of fun with, but they had left already, and calling them was out of the question.

The twins were still hanging about, but Jack had the strange feeling that they didn't like him very much. It could of course be a misconception, but he had barely exchanged a word with them outside of choir practice, and it would be weird if he suddenly wanted to befriend them now.

He could call Ianto. If he managed to express himself correctly, there was a possibility that he could get the guy to invite him over. Gwen was a good friend, and he wouldn't mind being there for her last supper in the US. That it would be a cover to be able to spend time with Ianto didn't have to be revealed. Technically it wouldn't be. Jack wanted to spend time with Gwen as well, although it had a totally different reason.

He had just said goodbye to Dean, and got a little bit surprised when the guy came running back over. "Hey. Are you stuck? Do you need a ride somewhere?" He must have noticed that Jack was a bit reluctant to leave, although he couldn't possibly know the reason.

"No. I'm fine. My parents are here, but they are waiting in the car." He felt awkward. He had absolutely no reason to hang around there, and wondered if Dean would question it. "Oh. Are you going home today? I thought, erm, never mind. You just looked a little lost, and that does not suit you." Dean laughed as he was about to walk away again.

Desperation can make a man humble. Jack decided to throw his pride out the window and ask Dean a big favor. "I guess you've heard then." He caught up with him quickly. "Ianto is taking me home tomorrow, but I lied to my parents to get them off my back. I told them that there would be a party tonight, but there's not."

Dean cocked his head and smiled. "Oh, so you will have to sit alone in your room and wait for tomorrow to arise. That's so sad." The guy didn't look sad at all. It was very clear that he enjoyed seeing that Jack wasn't on top of this.

There had never been any hostility between them. Jack actually considered Dean a good friend, although they hadn't spent much time together outside of school, but they had always competed about who was the ultimate Alpha male within the choir.

Regarding who would be the lead singer, Jack had definitely been the winner, but Dean never looked defeated by it, and managed to take it in the stride. Much more so than Jack did. The times he had to stand back, he had very verbally contested the decision.

It wasn't clear if any of the other choir members even cared, but Jack often felt inferior because he wasn't able to take a drawback with the same indifference as Dean did.

This time around, he was very aware that he was the underdog. "What are you doing this evening?" Jack knew what Dean and his brother were doing, but figured that Dean would understand why he asked without him having to beg for company.

Dean seemed to measure him before he nodded a couple of times. "It's okay honey. You can come to our place, but are you actually capable of manual labor?" Jack took the insult in the stride. "I don't know. I can bring food and drinks though."


	43. and afterparty

Mr Winchester is eager to do as much work on the house as possible the few days he's there. He teases his son a bit, and Dean is not amused by it. John has his own struggles at home, and can't wait to get out of there. Castiel wants to see Dean, but the way he goes about it feels a little like stalking until he get busted. Sam is on supply runs, and has to pick up a guest.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana - M/L: Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl.**

**Visions - Jason Manns**

* * *

The water that had leaked through the bathroom window, hadn't damaged the walls in as much as they'd feared, and the tiled floor had held up pretty good as well. That the humidity had seeped through to the hall was a bigger problem. The bathroom door and the doorframe were in bad condition, and some of the floorboards in the hall would have to be pulled out. They hoped that the beams underneath weren't that damaged, or else it would be a much more costly affair to renovate the house.

The front door was another story. The mold had crept up to the doorknob and door itself didn't really fit snuggly in the frame. Possibly because of the water damage, but also because it was old. "Older than the house itself." Dean rolled his eyes as he and his father assessed the work they had ahead of them.

The new door came with it's own frame, so they had to remove the old one even if it was only the threshold that was completely rotten. It was a big task, and if they didn't finish tonight, they would have no way of closing up the house.

"Your friend, is he any good with his hands." Mr Winchester was scratching his chin as he shifted his gaze between the new door and the old door. Dean had told him that Jack was coming over, but hadn't said anything about his ability to renovate a house. He cleared his throat. "Good with his hands? I'm sure he is, but, erm, I mean, if we give him a red wig and let him sing 'It's a hard knock life', we can probably get him to scrub the mold off the tiles, but other than that I'm not too sure." His dad sighed heavily. "Oh, one of those." He shrugged and measured the door for the umpteenth time. "You think we can do this before it gets too late?"

The words about Jack didn't sit well with Dean. "What do you mean? 'One of those'?" He folded his arms across his chest. John Winchester nodded to himself before he turned to his son. "A musical theater lover, a… you know, one of those." He picked up the crowbar. "Are we doing this?"

Dean got a little miffed, and was not amused by his father's comment. "That's a very derogatory remark. I have learned to like musicals too since I joined Glee club. Does that mean I am 'one of those'?"

For a few seconds the two of them stared at each other, but then Dean's dad exhaled audibly. "I don't know. Are you? You have some weird new friends; you have obviously changed a lot during the last year; I have never heard anything but rock'n'roll when you get to pick the music, so you tell me."

Being put on the spot like that was very uncomfortable. Dean didn't really know what to say. "I never really had any friends before; you never gave me the time. You should be happy that I have aquired a few." He really didn't want to make this into an argument, and regretted that he even commented on it in the first place.

"Son! I really don't care if you surround yourself with fruitcakes. Everybody is equal in my eyes, but I will fight for my right to make jokes about it in my own house." His dad sounded quite annoyed. "I couldn't care less if this Jack character is gay, as long as he can help out. You are the one who are implying that he's hopeless."

Dean watched as his dad went over to the door with the crowbar in hand and started to pry the trim away. "Uh, if we're doing this, wouldn't it be easier if we remove the door first?" Dean wasn't sure if he should have questioned his dad's way of handling the job, but he was pretty sure he was right.

"Well, yeah. We should." His dad pulled away the loose piece of trim before he put the crowbar down and grabbed a screwdriver. "Come on then, son. Let's do it." Dean hurried to pick up another screwdriver, and together they unscrewed the hinges of the door.

"If you fancy this guy, it will not change anything. You are my son, and I will love you no matter what." His dad lifted the door away and pushed it over the railing of the porch. "We have to build a new porch eventually, but it will have to wait."

Dean turned to his dad startled. "Jack? Oh, no. He is a friend, but…" He chuckled a little. "Jack is just a friend, and I don't _fancy_ him at all." He said the word 'fancy' in a mocking way because it sounded so old fashioned. It was good to be able to say that he did not like Jack that way, but Dean was also nervous about what his dad would say if he knew about Castiel.

His phone rang, and as he picked up the call from Jack, he noticed that Sam was back.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Yeah. That's right. John was in the choir at school this year." His mother was addressing her younger sister. "Remember back in the days?"

"_Hello, hello, hello, how low?_

_Hello, hello, hello, how low?_

_Hello, hello, hello, how low?_

_Hello, hello, hello!"_

The two ladies suddenly started singing together, and it wasn't pretty. John knew that the two of them had attended a choir about twenty years ago, but he also knew that they had been kicked out of it. Now he knew why.

"_With the lights out, it's less dangerous_

_Here we are now, entertain us_

_I feel stupid and contagious_

_Here we are now, entertain us_

_A mulatto_

_An albino_

_A mosquito_

_My libido_

_Yeah, hey, yay." _

They were screaming more than they were singing, and luckily they stopped after that one verse. "Oh, oh. When he died. I cried myself to sleep." John's aunt shook her head and it could look like her eyes watered up a bit. John had no idea who they were talking about. "But you were just a baby back then; like twelve, when Cobain committed suicide." His mother chuckled as she nudged her sister.

This was so bad. John hoped that the party would end soon. School was over and all he wanted to do was to celebrate with his friends. Sitting here being embarrassed, was not fun, but most of his friend had other things to do anyway. Some of them were probably forced to go through the same hardship as he had to, although he was pretty sure they would never hear that kind of 'concert'.

It was nice enough to hang out with his relatives for a while; they didn't visit very often, but none of them were at his age. He felt trapped in a crowd of people that he had nothing in common with, and being the center of attention was fun only for so long.

All of his cousins were much younger than him. His parents had him when they were very young, and both of them being the oldest child in the family, the rest of his aunts and uncles didn't start to produce until John was hitting double digits.

His mother's youngest brother, Harry, got married a year ago, and had just had a son. The baby took some of the attention away from John, and he welcomed it.

That his father didn't show up was a disappointment, but when John received a text message from him with a picture attached, he was happy that the guy stayed away. The woman, or girl, on his dad's arm, didn't look much older than twenty.

John knew that his dad was in a relationship, but he had never seen his new 'stepmother' before. It was a little embarrassing to know that his dad was dating someone close to John's own age, and the new knowledge made him want to escape even more.

Most of the guests were heading home after the party, but a few were going to spend the night. During the commotion that ensued when the party eventually started to break up, John excused himself. They probably thought he was going to bed, but he snuck out instead.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_I see the way he looks at you through the crowd_

_I see you wanna take him somewhere_

_Where it's not so loud."_

Sam sang along to the music as he drove towards the house. He never sang in public, and he wasn't often alone in the car, so this was a rarity.

"_With your silent speech so clear_

_And you're the only one he sees_

_and you're the only one he needs_

_But you're the only one for me."_

He knew it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't made for human ears. Dean had definitely got all the musicality in the family, and a voice to go with it as well.

"_I look into the room but all I see is you_

_You know I'm not complaining because_

_It's a beautiful vision."_

Sam had to run errands the whole afternoon. It was like his dad and Dean didn't trust him to be able to help out. He didn't really mind driving back and forth, but it was kind of insulting. He felt that he could just as well have been at Jo's place.

He was driving his dad's truck for the most part. The bed could hold more than the trunk of the Impala, and some of the things he was sent out for wouldn't fit in there regardless.

This time, he had to go to a hardware store to get, among other things, a drill, a box of nails and some samples of different baseboards and trim. He had also been at their old apartment to get a few things, and to a convenient store to pick up something to eat.

The front door was wide open when he came back. He pulled into the driveway, and through the open front door, he could see more than hear that Dean and their dad were arguing about something. Sitting in the car with the music on, he would probably not have heard much anyway, but it didn't look like they were screaming at each other. It was more the gestures, and the expression on Dean's face that gave away that it wasn't a friendly discussion.

Sam decided to wait. The two of them had clearly not noticed that he was there, even if the truck wasn't the quietest vehicle in the world. He got lost in the music, and startled when the front door came crashing down next to the car. He looked up, worrying that the argument had taken a turn for the worse, but it seemed to be over already.

Sam opened the door and was about to exit the truck, when Dean came running out of the house. "Cool. you're back." His brother held the phone to his ear as he approached. "Can you pick up Jack?"

Yet another stupid errand. Sam sighed. "Jack? What the… What is Jack gonna do? And why is he coming?" He walked to the back of the truck to get the stuff in there. Dean rolled his eyes and pointed to the phone. It was obviously Jack at the other end, and Sam got a little embarrassed about what he'd said.

"No worries. Jack doesn't know what he's gonna do here either, but he has nowhere else to go." Dean smiled and threw his car keys to Sam. Take the Impala, I'll unload the truck."

He was hungry, and when Dean explained that Jack was bringing food, he didn't hesitate. The chips and chocolates he'd bought wasn't really food. After getting instructions on where to go, Sam left the house for the fifth or sixth time that evening, and he left in a hurry.

When Jack entered the car outside the Berry house, the scent that followed him was divine. "I made lasagna. I hope your oven is working, because it needs to cook another twenty minutes." Jack put the pan in the backseat and held up a bag. "A bottle of wine and stuff to make a salad."

Sam's mouth watered, and he had to admit that he didn't really keep the speed limit as he drove back to their new neighborhood.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"You're going for a walk? At this hour?" The pastor looked at his son and shook his head. "If you need to go somewhere, you can take the car, but isn't it a little late for social calls?"

For a split second, Castiel wondered if he should do that; take the car, but decided against it. If he was going to look if Dean was at the Winchester's new home, he had no interest in announcing his arrival. "I don't need the car. I'm just going for a stroll in the neighborhood." He shrugged. "I'm not tired, so I thought a nice brisk walk would be good."

He hadn't made any plans for this, but he was too antsy to just sit at home until he eventually had to go to bed. "It's just… I left school today knowing that it can take a while before I see some of these guys again. It's a little sad."

He smiled as he said it, so his dad should understand that he wasn't depressed about it or anything. "I'm a senior now. I just have a few things to think about. Don't worry, I won't be long." He knew that his dad wouldn't stop him; it wasn't that late, but he really wanted the guy's approval.

"Of course. I wish that you youngsters would take more time to just contemplate over things instead of just rushing from one place to another. And I agree, a nice brisk walk can cure a lot of things, especially a little burst of cabin fever."

Castiel had to laugh. Without choir practice and with most of his friends busy celebrating their graduation with family, it had been a long afternoon and evening. Even if Cas hadn't elaborated too much, his father had clearly understood that he was a little bored.

When he left, he had no idea of what he was going to do if the Winchesters were at the house. It was quite dark outside, and he knew that he could get pretty close without anybody noticing him, but he felt a little bit like a stalker. He told himself that he was entitled to walk around in his own neighborhood whenever he wanted without it being weird, and was sure he'd come up with a plan before he got there.

After the choir's last performance that afternoon, he had to leave in a hurry because his father needed the car back. He didn't get a chance to talk to Dean much, although he did manage to briefly explain why he had to take off. The only thing he wanted at the moment was to see Dean again, even if it was from a distance.

He could hear the Impala before he saw it. Castiel leaned up against a fence and tried to be invisible. He had nothing to worry about. The car passed him at a speed that was a little too high, and then it turned into the street he was heading for himself.

It was impossible for him to see who was driving, but it didn't really matter. Somebody was at the house.

As Castiel turned the corner, he could see Dean's car on the curb. A big oak blocked his view to the house, but he spotted a truck parked on the driveway. He guessed it was Dean and Sam's father's vehicle.

Sneaking a bit closer, he heard faint voices, and when he passed the oak, he saw Dean and his father in the doorway obviously discussing something. There was something odd with the picture, and Cas soon realized that the actual door and the doorframe were missing.

Cas was on the other side of the street covered by the the shade of some bushes, so he knew they couldn't possibly see him, and he wondered what he should do next. He didn't get much time to ponder. A set of headlights hit him as a car came around the corner. Thinking it was just someone living on the street, Castiel pretended to move on, but then the car screeched to a halt next to him.

"Cas! How nice. Are we having a party?" John leaned out of the side window. "I was bored and hoped to find something to do. This was the only place I could think to go to." His car wasn't making much sound, but it still drew the attention of Dean and his dad, and Castiel's heart sunk. So much for the stalking. He was so busted.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean startled a little when he hear someone on the outside. John practically jumped up the stairs and stopped outside the opening that had formerly held a door. "I'm here! I'm ready to help out." Dean and the rest of the guys inside looked at him dumbfounded. "JACK? What the hell are you doing here?" John was still standing on the porch smiling from ear to ear.

"Is he a vampire or something? Why is he just standing there?" Dean's father shook his head as he walked into the kitchen. Dean knew he had to take care of this and gestured for John to enter, but John took a step back instead. "I picked up a guy on the way, but he's too shy to come forward." He turned briefly and waved at someone behind him.

When Castiel came into the light from inside, Dean almost choked. This was not looking good. Not that he didn't want Castiel there, but his dad had just been introduced to Jack, and now he had two more 'fruitcakes' on the doorstep.

He could hear that Sam struggled not to laugh, and he really wanted to punch his brother. "You better come in. What are you guys doing here? I thought…"

John grabbed Castiel's arm and pulled him inside. "We, erm, I had to get away. My mother was singing." John scrunched his face as if the memory was too disturbing to handle. "Cas was just hanging about, so I…" John stopped when Cas stepped forward and elbowed him in the ribs. It looked deliberate, but Castiel hurried to apologize. "Sorry. Me clumsy. I was, erm. I wanted to see the house, and went for a walk. Didn't know you'd be here this late."

Dean nodded. "Okay, but you…" He was about to mention that Cas had seen it already, but the look he got from the guy told him to shut his cakehole. "Cool. Jack was bored and needed something to do tonight, so I invited him over if he promised to bring food, and he did." He cocked his head and looked directly at John. "How did you know where to find us?" He gestured for the guys to come into the kitchen where his dad had put Jack's lasagna on the counter waiting for the oven to preheat. John shrugged. "I have my sources." He entered the kitchen and took a look around before he smiled and chuckled. "I overheard you before I left graduation. You gave Jack the address."

Dean's father looked at them as they entered the kitchen. "You know. I don't think we're gonna get much more done tonight. Why don't I leave you guys here, and come back in the morning?" He turned to Sam. "Did you get the tarp? I think we should just cover the opening and fit the new door tomorrow."

It sounded like a good idea; Dean had planned to spend the night there anyway, and had brought everything he needed for that, but the guests would have to roughen it. "Sure. The five of us can possibly get some cleaning done, but it's kind of late for anything else. I'm sure our new neighbors would complain if we start working with the nailgun at this hour."

"Do you have a bowl and a knife?" Jack was at the counter picking stuff out of the bag he'd brought. He opened a few drawers and cupboards, but they were empty. "Er, this is not going to be easy." He chuckled nervously. "It's gonna be an interesting meal if we have to eat from the pan with our hands. And you can forget about the salad."

Sam hadn't said a word since John came to the door, and even if he sported a smile, he looked rather confused about everything going on at the moment. "I could, I mean, I can go back to get what we need. I want to spend the night here as well, but I need some stuff from the old apartment."

That sounded like a plan. Dean patted his brother's back. "You would do that? That's great. It would be like a housewarming party. Do we have any beer?" He could see that Castiel, John and Jack exchanged a look before they threw clandestined peeks at Mr Winchester.

His dad shook his head and emitted a small chuckle. "There is beer in the fridge. Not much, but I don't want you guys to get drunk so it'll have to do." He looked over at Jack before he turned his gaze to the pan. "The lasagna looks and smells good. Will you save me a piece?"

Jack nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir. Of course. I'll make sure they don't eat it all."

"And bring the guitar." Dean shouted after Sam as he left the house with a list of what to bring back.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A blue tarp was covering the door, but it wasn't particularly soundproof, so they would have to keep it down somewhat at their little impromptu party. Without a stereo system, and no internet yet, there wouldn't be any possibility for playing loud music, so they all figured it would be fine.

Castiel knew that his own plan had backfired big time. When he left home, he just wanted to see if Dean was there, but hadn't thought of what to do if he actually entered the house. At the moment, he was in a pickle. He had promised his dad that he wouldn't stay out too long, but wild horses couldn't pull him away right now.

There was no way around it. He had to call home and say that he was staying at a friend's house. It wouldn't be easy to explain. His father wasn't stupid, and would draw the conclusion that Cas had planned this from the get go.

While Dean showed Jack and John around, Cas went outside to call his father. "Hey. One of my friends just moved into this neighborhood. He invited me in when he saw me on the street, and I said I could help them." He had to stop because he was out of breath, and was about to continue when his dad cut him off. "Now? Tonight? Is that why you went out?"

Cas decided it was best to keep the explanation as close to the truth as possible. "No. I promise. I wanted to see the house, but I didn't know they were moving in already. It needs some work, and they are at it around the clock to make it a home. They need all the help they can get, so I offered."

He could hear that his father chuckled. "And what are you going to help out with? No offence, but at this hour..." The tone of his voice was not discouraging, and that was a good thing. "I know, but tonight we're just cleaning up a bit. It's been empty for a year, and needs a good scrub down."

There was a short pause on the line. "What can I say? You have no school tomorrow, and I trust you, so go ahead." Cas was elated about how easy that was, so he went ahead and pushed a little further. "Thank you, but is it possible that they can have the old table and the folding chair we have in the basement?"

-o-o-

Castiel went inside to tell Dean about the conversation with his dad. "We can pick it up now, but we have to hurry because he's going to bed soon." It wasn't hard to see that Dean was happy about it, and immediately agreed to go. That was until he remembered that he didn't have a car. "Fuck that. Sam has the car, and we don't know when he'll be back."

John threw his hands out. "So take mine. How big is that table?" He pulled the car keys out of his pocket. "Go, go. Jack and I will find something to do while we're waiting." He winked at Jack, but the guy just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I can always clean the bathroom."

As soon as they were in the car, Dean pulled away from the curb and drove past a few houses before he pulled over and parked. Then he turned to Castiel as he licked his lips suggestively.

Cas didn't hesitate and they kissed violently as if they had been starved forever. Technically they had. From the moment he stepped through that opening that once held a door, Cas wanted to kiss Dean, but there were too many people around.

"We have to tell them." Dean panted a little as they stopped to breathe. "I can't just not touch you or whatever, the whole night." He went in for another kiss, slower and more gentle this time. Cas reciprocated in the same fashion, and for a few minutes they were lost in each other.

"We have to go." Castiel pulled away reluctantly, but he knew that they had to hurry. Another small issue was that he needed time to compose himself because he couldn't walk through the door at home facing his dad with a hard on.

They were outside his house before any of them had said another word. As they got out of the car and walked up to the door, Dean touched his hand briefly. "Think about it. We should just let them know. They suspect it already, so…"

Cas was still not sure, so instead of answering, he just opened the door and let Dean inside. His dad was on his way up the stairs, and turned briefly to tell them to keep it down before he went to bed.

They dug out what they needed from the basement. Castiel found two small lamps and a rug that he barely remembered that they had. The desk from his father's old office was too big to get in the car, but Dean seemed to like it, so he took note, and decided to ask his dad about it later.


	44. Finally, something

Dean's friends actually help out. Ianto feels bored and lonely, and he kind of hopes that Jack feels the same. During the meal at the Winchester house, Sam gets a little annoyed with the sharing of feelings, and reveals a secret to change the mood. Ianto texts Jack several times the next morning, and eventually, he gets to the house to pick him up. Dean and Castiel spend the night together, and things happen.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**Soldier of fortune - Deep Purple - M: Ritchie Blackmore, L: David Coverdale**

**Hotel California - Eagles - M: Don Felder, L: Don Henley, Glenn Fray**

* * *

"The toilet is working." Jack looked a little under the weather when he came out in the hall. His shirt had specks of dirt all over, and John wondered for a second about what it was. "Oh no." Jack must have noticed his stare, and shook his head vigorously. "It's just dirt. Like rotting leaves and stuff."

While Dean and Castiel were away, the two of them had decided to do their best to help out. Jack had volunteered to clean the downstairs bathroom, and met unforeseen troubles. Before somebody boarded up that broken window, all sorts of crap had blown in, and the previous owners had failed to check the toilet when they cleaned up after the unfortunate event.

The bowl, being fairly close to the window, was filled with leaves and twigs. It had been sitting there for a while, rotting away, so when Jack tried to flush it, he'd created a small flood. John had walked away to tend to the task he'd set his mind on, leaving Jack with the mess all by himself. He had obviously manage to fix the problem, but John wasn't sure he wanted to know how.

The rest of the house seemed to be in fairly good condition. The owners had done their best to make it look decent, but being empty for so long, there was dust covering every surface, and the spiders had produced plenty of cobwebs.

In the entrance area, the mold had taken it's toll, and even if the damage hadn't reached much further than that, the smell was lingering about the whole downstairs. It was especially present in the kitchen cupboards, so John had found a bottle of bleach, and decided to clean every surface and every crevice in the room.

"Did you by any chance bring an extra t-shirt?" Jack had obviously tried to wipe the dirt off, but it had not worked. "Sorry Darling. I have a sweater in my car though, so when they are back…" He looked at his watch. "They are taking their time, aren't they?"

Jack responded with a chuckle. "They probably want some alone time. I bet you that they are parked nearby, just making out in the car." He walked over to the stove. "Should we throw in the lasagna? The oven is ready, and it will take at least twenty minutes."

John cocked his head and stared at Jack for a moment. "You think so? I have been waiting for a long time for the two of them to hook up. I wasn't aware that anyone else did too." He heard the Impala pulling up outside. "Do you think Sam knows anything? Should we keep this to ourselves, or?"

They didn't get a chance to continue the conversation. Sam came inside with a big box. "Kitchenware and stuff." He exclaimed as he put it on the counter. "I have more, can you help me?"

John wasn't quite done in the kitchen, and he looked at Jack. "You help out. I'll put the lasagna in and finish up here."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Ianto had been a little worried when he realized that Jack's parents were in the crowd at graduation. What it they were there to take him home, making the whole plan fall apart? A few text messages later, he calmed down again. Jack had confirmed that it was still on, and that they would leave without him.

Gwen's farewell dinner was over, and after an evening with song and dance, and a lot of tears, everybody had withdrawn to their rooms. They would have to get up early in the morning to see Gwen off, so they turned in long before midnight.

He wondered what Jack was doing at the moment. Maybe he was packing, or maybe he was asleep already. Ianto didn't really think so. Jack wasn't much of a morning person, and he didn't have to get up early tomorrow, so he was probably awake alone in his room, just as Ianto was.

Not knowing what would come out of this trip, Ianto had all sorts of scenarios in his head. He wanted to be with Jack, and part of him wanted Jack to abandon all former plans and come back to Lima to live.

That was less than a pipedream. Jack had a job to go to in New York, and nothing would keep him away from that. Ianto didn't really want to hold him back either, but after pining for the guy for so long, he wished that he could spend more than a couple of days with him.

Without any promises from Jack involved, this trip could so easily be their last encounter. Ianto didn't like that at all, but he was willing to take it.

They hadn't set a time for Ianto to come and pick Jack up; 'after Gwen's departure', was pretty much the extent of that part of the plan, but Jack had promised to be there waiting for him regardless. He had however asked to get a text every so often, just to be kept updated.

Ianto wished that he'd dared to ask Jack to come over. He could have brought his stuff, and spent the night. He could even had come with to the airport. Gwen would have liked that, but he wasn't sure how his parents would have looked at it. They knew that Ianto was going to spend a few days with Jack, but having him in the house, he worried that they would understand a few things Ianto wasn't ready to reveal yet. Jack could be a little flamboyant at times, and even without a well developed gaydar, you had to be quite ignorant not to notice.

It was probably better this way. Ianto put on some music to go to sleep to, and before he set the alarm for six thirty, he sent a text. "See you tomorrow. I'll text you when we leave the airport."

"_I have often told you stories_

_About the way_

_I lived the life of a drifter_

_Waiting for the day_

_When I'd take your hand and sing you songs_

_Then maybe you would say_

_Come lay with me and love me_

_And I would surely stay."_

The ping from the phone startled him somewhat. Ianto had not expected Jack to reply so quickly. David Coverdale and Deep Purple was forgotten as he hurried to grab the phone.

"Jack: Sounds good. See you. xoxoxo."

Hugs and kisses. Ianto wanted them for real, not only in a text, but he had to settle for that at the moment.

.

"_Many times I've been a traveler_

_I looked for something new_

_In days of old when nights were cold_

_I wandered without you_

_But those days I thought my eyes_

_Had seen you standing near…"_

Ianto closed his eyes and turned the music down low. It didn't take long before he was fast asleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The table wasn't very big, but it was the perfect size for the small kitchen. That it could hardly fit four people comfortably wasn't a problem at the moment. The five of them managed to squeeze in regardless, and even if it was a little tight, it was perfectly manageable.

Sam was starved. After waiting so long to get a bite to eat, he was ready to disregard Jack's promise about saving some for their dad.

"What are your plans with Ianto?" John was talking with his mouth full addressing Jack. "I mean, do you think that the two of you will keep in touch?" Jack had been cheerful, bordering to ecstatic during the late evening, but now he looked at John with pain written on his face. "I don't know. I want to, but… I don't know." He shook his head as he picked at the leftover salad on his plate.

Sam had no idea what they were talking about, although he had learned that there was something brewing between Ianto and Jack. Knowing that Jack would leave the next morning, he'd figured it was all over, but obviously it wasn't so.

"The best thing is probably to let it go. He's too young to make a commitment, and I, I, erm, I will be busy for a few months. Too busy to…" Jack faltered a little before he looked at John across the table. "I'm sorry. I don't want to break his heart, but I'm sure he'll manage. He's young, and before you know it he'll be in love with somebody else."

For a moment, John looked angry, but then he sighed heavily before he cocked his head and made an effort to meet Jack's eyes. "So why are you doing this? Why are you taking him with you? Wouldn't a clean break have been better?"

Jack got up from his chair and grabbed his plate. He put it on the counter before he started pacing back and forth in the small kitchen. Sam had nothing to say about the matter, but he was curious. He threw a peek at his brother, and could see that he too was waiting for Jack's reply. Castiel was looking down at his lap, and seemed to hold his breath, as if he was struggling to keep his mouth shut.

"Because I love him. That's why. I can't just… It's for me. I'm selfish and I want these two days. He's gonna move on, and I'm gonna pine for him for a long time. I'm not a player. I never was. It's all a con. I want him, but he, he is going to…" A tear was running down Jack's cheek, and he hurried to wipe it away.

Both John and Dean got up from their seats, but Jack lifted his hands to stop them from coming over. "It's fine. I'm okay. I will be working, and I'll get over it." He shrugged as he came back to the table and slumped down. "A clean break, uh? I wish I could do that, but I need this. I need these two days. Maybe there is a possibility... I need to clear the air, and… we never really had a chance to talk about the future, or maybe we did our best to avoid it."

Sam couldn't take it any longer. He couldn't care less about Jack's feelings. He was pretty sure that Jack wanted to 'be with' Ianto any way possible, but their first night in the new house was turning into a soap-opera. A gay soap-opera. Even if Jo had sworn him to secrecy, he had to change the mood in there somehow. "Gwen is pregnant!" He stated firmly as he scooped up the last piece of food from his plate.

Jack, Dean and Castiel stared at him with surprise painted on their faces. John didn't seem quite as baffled, but he did try to look as if he didn't know already. Sam cocked his head and winked to the guy. "You knew didn't you?"

Everybody turned to stare at John instead. Jack seemed a little annoyed about not being the center of attention anymore, but he too waited for John's reply with anticipation. John nodded slowly. "I did, erm, I do. Ianto couldn't keep it to himself. I promised not to tell anyone though. How did you know?"

The mood changed a bit. Nobody focused on Jack's sorry love life anymore, but it had somewhat damaged the joy from earlier. It was still better as they shared little stories about Gwen, and made up new ones with her as a mom.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"_On a dark desert highway_

_cool wind in my hair_

_Warm smell of colitas..."_

Dean was strumming his guitar while Cas and John sang along. The song was kind of depressing, and they didn't really put any effort in to make it sound less depressing.

"_There she stood in the doorway;_

_I heard the mission bell_

_And I was thinking to myself…"_,

The beer was polished off, and the wine bottle Jack had brought got passed around. Sam had failed to bring glasses, but it wasn't such a big deal. A half empty bottle of Jack Daniels that Dean had hidden from his dad got passed around as well, but Castiel didn't have any. He had just learned to like beer, but was not ready for anything stronger.

"_Welcome to the Hotel California_

_Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)_

_Such a lovely face…"_

Even Sam sang along on the chorus, and it didn't sound as bad as was expected. Sam had a decent voice and carried the tune pretty well, although he'd always claimed he was tone deaf.

"_Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she's got the Mercedes Benz_

_She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends."_

Jack and Sam was occupying the old sofa left after the previous owner. It was bad, but Sam had covered it with one of the blankets he'd brought, and it served it's purpose for the time being. John had grabbed one of the folding chairs and sat by the door to the kitchen. Dean was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall as he played the guitar, and Cas was sitting right next to him, pining to reach his hand out to touch him. Maybe it would have been better to tell the others?

"_And still those voices are calling from far away,_

_Wake you up in the middle of the night_

_Just to hear them say…"_

As they entered into the chorus again, John got up and looked at his watch. "I should go. We can do this again at some other time. It won't be my last visit to this house." He chuckled humorlessly before he continued. "Even if this is kind of sad, I think we can manage to have a real party here when you've moved in properly."

Dean continued playing, but looked up for a brief moment and nodded as he abruptly jumped the last few lines of the song..

"_You can check out any time you like_

_but you can never leave."_

The end to the song made them all laugh a little. Castiel looked at Dean and could see a smile on his face. "Yeah. Definitely." He turned to Jack. "Hey. Even if you will be in the big apple, I will invite you. I'll actually make sure to arrange this party when you have time off."

That was it then. The party was over.

Jack had no car, and asked John to take him home. Castiel didn't want to leave, so when John asked if he needed a ride as well, he declined. "It's less than a ten minute walk to my house. I'll be fine."

Sam gathered his stuff quickly and headed upstairs. He had been yawning a few times already, and could hardly wait to go to bed. It wasn't much of a bed. Cas had helped him bring stuff upstairs earlier so he knew. A mattress on the floor and a couple of blankets was pretty much it, but Sam seemed satisfied.

"Are we too young? Am I too young?" Castiel had brewed on the question ever since Jack implied that Ianto was to young to know love. Dean had just come inside after waving goodbye to John and Jack, and looked quite surprised..

"No. No, why are you asking?" He came over and stroke Castiel's cheek. "Maybe we are, but it doesn't matter. There's only one way to find out." He pried the empty wine bottle out of Castiel's hand. "You don't have to tidy up. We can do it in the morning. Come here."

The fact that it was technically morning already was a minor issue. Cas knew what he meant. He didn't really want an answer to the question anyway. He just needed to know if Dean felt the same as Jack did. "Do you think this will last?" It wasn't easy to stay focused when Dean kissed his neck and pushed his pelvis forward so that Cas could feel the hardness of Dean's cock against his thigh.

"I don't know. Nobody knows. My parents thought they would last forever, but then my mom died. She was sixteen when they met." Dean's hand was inside the back of Castiel's pants, and his fingers was grabbing on to his buttock. "It's not possible to predict the future. I just know that we click. We have this thing now, and I can't imagine being with anybody else."

It was good enough. Castiel didn't need any more confirmation. He couldn't have handled more anyway. The pressure of his own cock against the fabric of his tight jeans threatened to make him come undone at this very second.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Gwen sends hugs and kisses."

"My mom will not leave until Gwen's plane has taken off:"

"We're in the car. Finally. It was sad to wave goodbye, but I will see Gwen again before the summer is over."

Jack had not expected the string of messages from Ianto. He was busy making sure that Rachel's parents wouldn't have anything to complain about when he left, so he didn't want to leave any mess behind. Paying attention to the pings from his phone was not a priority, so he didn't even check it until long after the third one came.

He knew perfectly well when Gwen's plane was leaving, so he kind of knew when he should start to expect a text from Ianto. When he finally looked at the phone, he felt bad for not replying to the previous ones. It was more than a half hour since the last one.

"I'm here. I'm cool. Sorry, but I was busy." He hurried to send it and tried to determine how long it would take for Ianto to get to John's place and pick up the car. Jack wondered if John would say anything about where they spent most of the night, but didn't get much time to ponder on it. The next text message ticked in shortly after.

"At John's house. He looks like shit btw. lol. I'll pick you up soon."

Worrying a little bit about the conversation between Ianto and John, Jack got startled when his phone started vibrating in his hand just before it emitted the familiar ping from yet another text.

"This car is sweet, but texting and driving is not a good plan. See you soon."

His parents had taken most of his stuff with them when they left yesterday, so Jack had only one suitcase and a small bag to carry as he went outside to meet Ianto. He left the key under the mat as planned. Rachel's fathers were in New York at the moment, and had said their goodbyes before the weekend.

After the conversation with the others at the Winchester house, Jack had started to regret this deal. He should have left yesterday, and never made this plan with Ianto. He'd had an idea about getting it out of his system by doing this, but now he wasn't so sure.

It was too late to do anything about it now. Cancelling at this hour would be just cruel to both of them. Jack didn't want to be cruel. He only wanted to do the right thing, but he wasn't sure what the right thing was.

Ianto was there before he got time to think about it anymore, and he did his best not to show how uncertain he was.

"Do you want to drive? I don't know the way, and I didn't sleep much last night, so I think it'll be better. Although, it's not a big problem. It's not that far right?" Ianto opened the trunk and helped Jack get the suitcase inside. "That's it? You lived here for, erm, like almost ten months and this is all your stuff?"

It was perfectly clear that Ianto was talking up a storm to avoid getting into the real matter at hand. He was clearly nervous, and Jack wished he could say something to comfort the guy. "Well, my parents took the rest yesterday. It wasn't that much though. The room was furnished and…" Jack didn't continue. He could see that Ianto took the message, so there was no point in going into details.

"So, are you driving?" Ianto held up the key to the car. "It's not such a big deal. I mean, I can do it, but you know…" Jack went over and took the key from him. He made sure to let his fingers brush over the back of Ianto's hand. "Sure. I'll drive." He hadn't slept much either, but Ianto didn't need to know that. With an attempt to look encouraging, he smiled and winked before he went over to the driver's side of the car. "Let's go. It's a couple of hours drive, and if you need some sleep, it's okay."

Ianto didn't fall asleep, and for the first twenty minutes of the drive he just stared out of the side window without uttering a word. It was getting a little uncomfortable, and Jack knew he had to do something to lift the mood. "Hey. How about Gwen? How is she doing? I hear there's a little one on the way."

That was obviously not the right thing to say. Ianto turned abruptly and stared at him. "How did you know? How the hell did you know?" He sounded both angry and curious, and Jack realized that he wouldn't have known if he hadn't been at the Winchester house all night.

Thinking fast, he managed to come up with a semi-plausible explanation. "Dean told me. He got it from Sam. Gwen had obviously told Jo, and, erm, you know how it is don't you?" Jack wasn't sure if it would work; he could just have told the truth, but he didn't want Ianto to know that he'd been partying half the night.

"What? I didn't know that you and Dean were so close. When did this happen?" The look on Ianto's face wasn't as hostile any longer. He only looked surprised. "Oh, honey. Me and Dean are like this." Jack held up his hand with the index finger and the middle finger crossed. "We didn't hang out much, but we had an understanding. He told me when we said goodbye after graduation."

It looked like Ianto bought it, but Jack needed to turn away from this topic. "Did you know that he and Castiel are together now?" He threw a quick peek at the passenger. "It's a secret for now, so don't tell anyone." He didn't even know if it was true, but he was quite certain.

It worked. For the next hour, the conversation in the car focused on the members of the choir and what they all had been up to over the school year. There was a brief comment about the New Year's party, but for reasons they were both aware of they shied away from the subject pretty quickly.

As the drive was almost over, Ianto got more and more quiet. Jack did his best to keep the the conversation going, but had to give up when Ianto completely stopped responding.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The sofa wasn't so bad. Dean had planned to sleep in his own room that first night, but with Castiel there, he never made it up the stairs. Not that there was a lot left of the night anyway. John and Jack had left in the early morning hours; Dean wasn't quite sure about the exact time, but it was sometime before dawn.

After thoroughly making out in the kitchen, he and Castiel had managed to get to the sofa without letting go of each other. Dean had no clue what to do or how to proceed as they lied there close together. That wasn't completely true. He wasn't a virgin; he'd had sex with girls before, but this was a little unfamiliar.

Fucking was definitely off the table at this time. It wasn't anything they had talked about, but Dean knew that he wasn't ready for that yet, and he was pretty sure that was true for Castiel as well. The setting was also wrong. He didn't know when their dad would arrive, and rushing something like that wasn't an option.

Dean had eventually managed to muster up the courage to unbutton Castiel's pants. Castiel held his breath, but didn't stop him. Dean let his finger slide up the shaft of Castiel's cock through the fabric of his boxers, and just as the sun emerged over the horizon and sent a few rays through the crooked blinds in the livingroom, Cas hitched his breath and pushed Dean's hand away.

It was too late. Castiel couldn't possibly hide the fact that he cummed in his underwear. Dean found it totally awesome, and also extremely arousing. With no hope that Castiel would help him to get off, Dean pushed his hand into his own pants and jerked off until he cummed as well.

Sweaty and sticky, they didn't look at each other for several minutes. When Dean finally dared to move his head enough to see Castiel's face, he got a bit of a surprise. Cas stared right at him and smiled. "This was nice." Dean wasn't sure if Cas was blushing or if it was the heat of the moment that colored his face red. It didn't matter. It _was _nice. It was more than that. It was perfect.

Dean felt a little embarrassed as he got up from the sofa shortly after. He didn't want Cas to believe that he was abandoning him. "I just need to, erm, this, I need to change." He dared to lean in for a quick kiss before he ran upstairs. After doing his best to wipe the cum away, he dumped the soiled clothes on the floor in his room and hurried to put on a pair of sweatpants.

Castiel was sitting on the sofa when he came into the living room again. A small pile of toilet paper next to him, bore evidence that Cas had tried to clean up as well. He declined Dean's offer to have a shower. "I have no clothes with me, it's better I do it at home." He got up and buttoned his pants. "I should probably go now."

For the first time in his life, Dean had a sexual encounter with someone he wanted to be with for real. He panicked a little thinking about the girls he'd been with before. The relationships had all ended badly. Mostly because Dean had shied away as soon as he got into their pants. He didn't want this to end at all, but he didn't know how to handle himself to make Castiel understand that.

Saying it out loud was of course an option, but he had a hard time finding the words.

Changing schools so often, he never had time to get a reputation, so he could fool around without worrying about the aftermath. It was still in his head though, and he knew he was playing with their feelings. He sincerely hoped that Cas wouldn't think that he was playing a game now, but he knew that he had been a little too outspoken about his previous encounters during this school year.

Castiel got up and walked towards the tarp that covered the opening for the front door. "I'll see you soon." He smiled shyly as he looked at the floor. "I'll ask my dad about that desk, and I can come over as soon as I wake up sometime tomorrow afternoon." He rolled his eyes and chuckled a little.

Suddenly, Dean realized that there was no need to explain anything. Castiel would come over tomorrow unless somebody told him that he shouldn't. Nobody would tell him that he shouldn't.

Dean knew that his dad would question it, but he didn't really care. "Yeah, sure, come over." He took the few steps that separated them, and grabbed Castiel's hands. "Keep it casual when my dad is here. I need a bit of time."


	45. Parents can be a bother

Gwen is trying to get comfortable on the long flight home, and when she arrives she gets a few surprise messages. Castiel shares 'everything' with Unique. Ianto and Jack arrives at the Harkness house, and spend some time alone before the parents come home. Mr Winchester is eager to get everything done, and the workers he hires prevent Dean from getting any sleep. Pastor Novak wants to meet the new family in the neighborhood, and tags along when Cas goes to visit Dean.

* * *

**Songs in this chapter**

**History - One Direction - M/L: Hector, Ryan, Drewett, Bunetta, Payne, Tomlinson**

**Candle in the wind - Elton John - M/L: Elton John; Bernie Taupin**

* * *

Gwen adjusted her earplugs and tried to get comfortable in the seat. Even if she didn't get much shuteye during her last night in Lima, she didn't think it would be possible to fall asleep on the plane.

"_You gotta help me, I'm losing my mind_

_Keep getting the feeling you wanna leave this all behind_

_Thought we were going strong_

_I thought we were holding on_

_Aren't we?"_

She stroked her belly, and wondered what Rhys would say when she told him about the baby. Not that she worried so much. Rhys wanted to have kids. He wanted a big family, but he was probably not prepared for it to happen so soon.

"_No they don't teach you this in school_

_Now my heart's breaking and I don't know what to do_

_Thought we were going strong…"_

Leaving Lima and the guys in the choir was sad. She missed them already, and wished that she could have taken them all with her.

"_You and me got a whole lot of history_

_We could be the greatest team that the world has ever seen_

_You and me got a whole lot of history_

_So don't let it go, we can make some more, we can live forever."_

The song didn't help much with her mood, so when she saw the cabin crew starting to hand out food, she turned it off.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Castiel was so excited that he wanted to tell someone. Unique was the only one he had involved in this, but calling her in the early morning hour after her graduation party could possibly be conceived as quite cruel, so he decided to be a little subtle about it, and sent a text.

"Call me. I spent the night with Dean."

He snuck through the house, and had just entered the bathroom when the call came. "For real? Tell me everything." Unique was whispering for some reason. "Did you… I mean, you spent the night, but did you play solitaire or something?"

Castiel needed to pee, so he put her on speaker as he unbuttoned his pants. "Yeah, sure, because solitaire is a two person game." He kept it down because he didn't know if anyone else was awake yet. "We, erm, we are kind of together." He did his best to avoid making too much noise as he took a leak. His underwear was kind of crusty, and he needed a shower soon anyway, so he undressed and grabbed his robe.

"Together? Did you…? You didn't? Cas, you need to tell me. I can hear that you are in the bathroom. Get me out of there." Unique was still whispering, but there was a clear urgency in her voice. "Tell me everything."

It was still early, but Cas knew that his dad would get up pretty soon. "I need to take a shower, and I need to sleep a little. I didn't expect you to reply so fast. Can I call you back later? I want to be alone in the house for this."

Unique was a little hesitant to let go. "Can't you give me a little hint?" When Castiel declined, and again asked if she could wait, he got a huff and an annoyed 'yeah' from her before they hung up.

Throwing his clothes into the hamper, Cas wondered how much he should tell her. He and Dean didn't actually have sex, and what went down was kind of embarrassing. He had cummed into his pants after a brief touch from Dean's hand. When Dean jerked himself off, Cas knew that he should have stepped up, but he was totally unable to muster up the courage.

Did Unique really need to know the details?

He got about five hours of choppy sleep before he gave up on the whole thing and decided to call Unique back. Cas was still so tired that he wasn't sure if he could keep a conversation going, but his dad and both his siblings had headed out, so he was alone in the house, and could speak freely.

Of course he told her everything. He started with the stalking attempt that went so wrong. It moved on to Jack's excellent lasagna, and the revelation about Gwen. "Oh shit, that was supposed to be a secret." He continued to tell Unique how he helped Sam make his bed, before he eventually reached the point in the story where he and Dean were alone.

Stuttering a little, Cas did his best to relay the the gist of what happened without using too many words. Unique seemed to get it. "Are you sure you want to pursue this? According to himself, Dean has been quite a player before. I'm happy for you, but please take care."

Castiel huffed and then he chuckled a little. "He _was_ a player. He was playing with the girls, but now he is on the right team. I am aware, but I think he is sincere."

He fiddled with his phone for a little while after they hung up. Cas wasn't sure if he should have done it, but eventually he wrote a short message to Gwen on Facebook. He wanted to get ready to go over to the Winchester house as soon as possible, but after getting everything off his chest, he fell asleep again.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack parked on the curb, and handed Ianto the car keys before they both got out. "Home at last." He chuckled as he stretched his body. "I don't think my parents are home yet." He turned to Ianto gesturing for him to open the trunk, and could spot a little bit of fear on his face.

"I'm sure they will be here shortly. Let's get inside." He wanted to be alone with Ianto, but understood that the guy was a little intimidated at the moment. Ianto grabbed his and Jack's bag, while Jack took the suitcase.

After kicking their shoes off in the hall, Jack led the way to his room. "I'm not going to unpack now." He dumped the suitcase on the floor, and pointed to the bed. It was big enough for two and then some. "You can sleep on the bed, and if you, erm, I don't, I can sleep on the floor if you want?"

Ianto hadn't said a single word since they drove into town, and Jack worried a little about how this would go. He looked at the guy. "What do you say?"

It took a moment or two before he got an answer. Ianto drew his breath heavily and swallowed. "That's not okay. It's your bed. You can't sleep on the floor." He was actually blushing, and Jack had to cover up a giggle before he decided to dive into it. "Oh please. Do you want to share the bed with me? I want that."

The nod was almost undetectable, but Jack chose to take it as a yes. "It's settled then. Let's look for a snack. We won't get any supper for another three hours at least." He didn't want Ianto to worry that they'd be alone for too long, although he knew that eventually they would be spending a whole night together in the same bed.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dean didn't get much sleep. As soon as Castiel had left, he hurried to his room and crashed on the mattress Sam had brought. He didn't even bother to undress, he just grabbed the blanket and tucked himself in. He wasn't out for long before the sound of his dad's truck woke him up again.

"Hello boys! Are you ready for work?" John Winchester came inside and he actually banged the wall to rouse Dean and his brother.

Through the half open door to his room, Dean could hear Sam groan loudly as he stepped out in the hall. "I think I slept for three hours, and Dean possibly slept even less. Could you give us a little bit more time?"

There were some commotion going on down there before their father replied. "Time? I have no time. I have a job waiting for me, and have to leave the day after tomorrow. I have absolutely no time." Dean looked at his phone. It was exactly one hour since Castiel left.

He was so tired that he actually passed out when it suddenly got quiet, and didn't know what happened during the next half hour.

A loud bang woke him up again, and for a moment he had forgotten where he was. "Sorry boys!" His dad sounded sincere, but then there was more weird noises. Dean practically crawled towards the door, and pushed it gently until it was shut before he hurried back to the sorry excuse for a bed.

He actually managed to fall asleep again, but it was choppy to say the least. The closed door didn't help much. Loud voices, and more banging kept disturbing him, and after another hour he finally had to give in.

He met his brother in the hall, and without a word between them, just a silent nod towards the door to the bathroom, they played 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who'd go first. Sam won, but he was courteous enough to not spend too much time in there. "If we're gonna be put to work right now, I'll have a shower later." He walked towards his room. "Just need to put on another t-shirt. I can brush my teeth when you're done."

Unlike his brother, Dean felt an overwhelming need to rinse off. They had failed to bring any big towels, so after a hurried shower, which mostly focused on the crotch area, he had to dry off with a tiny little hand towel. It was okay. It was a bigger problem that he hadn't brought any spare jeans, so he had to go downstairs in the sweatpants.

The new door was in, although it didn't have any trim; the floor in front of it was just a big hole, and a man - presumably a carpenter - was working on covering it up with new boards. The kitchen looked like a war zone. Part of the counter was removed, and a man was lying under the kitchen sink. "I have to turn off the water now." The man crawled out from there and headed for the door. "It won't take long."

Dean groaned. He wanted coffee; he needed coffee. As if his dad had read his mind, he came over with a thermos. "There's a little bit left, and there's some sandwiches over there." He pointed to a lunchbox on the table. "Didn't even know we had a table."

The plumber managed on his own, but Dean had to help with the floorboards, while Sam and his dad left to get some more supplies.

Three hours later, the floor was done and they also had a dishwasher. It was second hand, but it was good enough. The carpenter moved on to finish with the door, and the plumber was in the downstairs bathroom to install fixtures for a washing machine.

When his dad came back from the third supply run, it was without Sam, and Dean wondered where his brother was. He got the answer shortly after when a Ford Escort parked on the curb. Sam crawled out of it while rolling his eyes. "I hope your mechanic skills are as good as they say. This is a piece of junk." He shook his head. "He promised me a car, but I'm not so sure about this." He did smile as he looked at their dad. "It's not his fault. I picked it so we would have more money for the house."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

As soon as the plane landed on Heathrow, Gwen turned on her smartphone. She had kept the plan during her stay in America, although she hadn't used it much because it was too expensive to make any calls from it. Ianto had let her have his old flip phone while she was there, but she couldn't go online on that one.

After digging the carryon out of the overhead compartment, waiting in line to get out of the plane, she was amazed by the number of text-messages and missed calls. Four of them were from friends in the UK, wishing her welcome back. Rhys had called once, but later sent a text asking her to contact him as soon as she landed. Her mother had obviously tried to call her several times over the last couple of hours, so Gwen decided to ring her back first.

She did post her UK number on Facebook, but she hadn't expected any of her American friends to use it. It was quite a surprise that she had gotten three messages from over there.

Jo: "Hope the trip went well. Can't wait to see you on Skype, but I won't nag you about it. Get settled and greet your family from me."

John: "Hey. John here. I'm not sure I dialed the right combination of numbers, and I hope this reaches you. I left a long message for you on FB."

Jack: "I hope you landed safely. Plz forgive me. I know it was supposed to be a secret, but I have to congratulate you with the bun. I miss u already, but we'll meet again some day. Take care. Hugz and kisses. Jack."

Ianto must have told him. Gwen got a little bit annoyed, but she knew how nervous her cousin had been when they parted. After waiting patiently for months for Ianto to tell her anything about anything, he had finally opened the door to that closet he was stuck in. With limited time, and with the rest of the family stressing around to get ready for her departure, Gwen didn't get much information, only a promise that he'd tell all as soon as they could talk privately on the phone.

Sitting in the car with Jack for a couple of hours, Gwen guessed that Ianto had blurted it out just to have something to talk about. He was easily forgiven. Rhys would be informed shortly, and then it wouldn't be a secret anymore.

As she was waiting in line for the passport control, she made a quick call to her mother just to confirm that she was on British soil. He parents would not come to the airport; it was a bit of a drive, so she perfectly well understood. When she booked the flight, she wanted to go to Cardiff, but there were no low-fare tickets available. When Rhys offered to come pick her up at any airport in the whole country, she suddenly had more options, and ended up getting a ridiculously cheap flight to London.

There was a bit of a wait at the luggage claim. Gwen couldn't find a seat, but slumped down on the floor to check the rest of her messages, and answer them accordingly. The little Facebook icon on the screen showed that she had 14 notifications. Some of them were random updates by friends, while the rest was PM's.

She knew that one of them was from John, and a few were from friends in the UK, but she almost choked when she started sifting through them.

Unique: "Hey Mama. I can't believe you didn't tell us. How are you doing? When is the little one due? Text me back soon. I'm so excited for you."

Dean: "Goodbye Gwen. We will miss you. Take care of the little one. You'll be a great mother."

Castiel: "I had to leave early yesterday, and didn't see you. Sam told me about the baby. I'm very happy for you and Rhys. Hope you can come back one day to visit. Well. Have a nice flight. xoxo"

John: "Hey Gwen. I sent you a message on the phone, but I'm not sure I had the right number. Anyway. Just wanted to tell you what an awesome person you are, and that I will miss you a lot. I hope that you are available late July because I have persuaded my mom to take a trip to Cardiff. Will keep you updated on that. Going out to drink legally will be just awesome.

I know that you are carrying a secret, but when more than four people knows, it's not a secret anymore. Ianto told me, and I wasn't going to mention it, but Jo didn't manage to keep her mouth shut about it either, so… Congratz.

If Rhys does not support you, I'll come over and punch him. Keep in touch. See you in July. Love you."

Ianto: "I told John. I didn't want to say it before you left. Sorry, but he promised to keep it to himself. I'll call you on the landline during the weekend. 3"

Charlie, Jane and Madison didn't mention anything about the baby, but that didn't mean they didn't know. Gwen was almost hyperventilating. When she finally managed to rip herself loose from the screen, she saw one of her suitcases on the other side of the carousel going for a round-trip. She didn't bother to chase it. It would come back around eventually. She took a couple of deep breaths before she called Rhys. Keeping a keen eye on the luggage, she waited patiently for him to pick up.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jack raided the fridge and scrambled together a small meal. Ianto hadn't eaten much since he left home to go to the airport, but he tried to restrain himself. If they would be served dinner in a couple of hours anyway, it would be silly to fill up on snack foods.

Ianto did manage to carry a conversation somewhat, but it was kind of rough. He knew perfectly well what he wanted out of this trip, but being there was almost too much to handle. Jack was his usual sparkling self, and did his best to make Ianto feel welcome, but there was clearly a tension in the air.

"_Goodbye Norma Jean_

_Though I never knew you at all_

_You had the grace to hold yourself_

_While those around you crawled."_

Jack had slumped down on the piano stool and started playing and singing. "You know this one, don't you?" He threw a smile at Ianto before he continued. Ianto was quite sure that Jack did this to try to break the ice, and there was a possibility it would work.

"_And it seems to me you lived your life_

_Like a candle in the wind_

_Never knowing who to cling to_

_When the rain set in."_

It was really not his kind of music, but Ianto knew the song very well, and couldn't help singing along.

"_And I would have liked to have known you_

_But I was just a kid_

_Your candle burned out long before_

_Your legend ever did."_

Jack smiled at him as he continued playing. He delivered an impromptu piano solo before he went on to the next verse.

"_Loneliness was tough_

_The toughest role you ever played…"_

Jack stopped singing but kept hitting the keys. "Didn't he, Elton John…? He rewrote this song to fit Princess Diana. Sorry, it wasn't a question, I know he did." Jack chuckled a little. "I don't know if I remember the lyrics."

Ianto didn't remember Diana when she was alive, but she was some kind of an icon in Britain. He knew that song though, even if it would never be on his playlist.

"_Goodbye England's rose_

_May you ever grow in our hearts _

_You were the grace that placed itself _

_Where lives were torn apart."_

While Jack was getting ready for the chorus, his parents came home, so he just played a couple of random chords before he got up from the stool. "Hi. This is Ianto. He's going to stay for a couple of days and help me get ready for New York."

Ianto tried to act confident as he walked over to say hello. Jack grabbed one of the bags that his mother was carrying. "He drove me here, and I invited him to stay. He's looking into getting to Broadway himself, and I thought I'd help him."

That was just a straight out lie, and Ianto realized that Jack wasn't as confident about this as he seemed to be. Suddenly everything got easier. It was actually hard keeping a straight face when he suddenly learned that he wasn't the only one who was nervous.

Dinner at the Harkness house consisted of Domino's Pizza. Ianto was far from impressed until he learned that it was Jack's guilty pleasure. "We wanted to give you what you like." Jack's mother laughed as she opened the box. Then she turned to Ianto and cocked her head. "We are all capable of making a meal from scratch, but you know. He is our baby."

Jack yawned through the meal, and explained that he hadn't slept much last night, When Ianto during the conversation told them that he'd been up at the crack of dawn to take his cousin to the airport, Jack's parents understood perfectly well that they both needed to go to bed early.

The little sliver of confidence Ianto had downstairs, vanished completely as they entered Jack's room. He got to use the bathroom first, and as soon as he was done he crawled into bed and made sure he left plenty of space for Jack.

He could hear that Jack came back, and he could feel that the guy entered the bed. It took a little more than a minute before one of Jack's fingers drew a line down his spine and rested at the small of his back. "Are you still awake?" Jack was whispering quietly, and if Ianto had been sleeping he would probably not have been disturbed by it. "No, I'm not."

Jack moved closer and wrapped his arm around Ianto's waist. "I have a confession to make." He was still whispering. "I spent the night at Dean's house, and I didn't sleep a wink. I so much want to… I just… I need to sleep now." He nuzzled his face into the back of Ianto's neck. "I can hold you like this right? I just want to hold you."

Ianto wanted so much more, but he was also extremely tired. "This is good. Let's sleep. This feels perfect."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Castiel didn't know what time it was when he woke up, and he got somewhat disturbed when he realized that it was late afternoon. Nobody in his family had even tried to wake him up - he would have remembered that - and he wondered why.

The front door slammed shut, and when he heard his dad's voice asking if there was anybody home, he realized that he'd been home alone for several hours. Michael left sometime in the morning when Cas was still semi-alert, and he remembered that Rachel was working the afternoon shift and wouldn't be back for another two hours.

He grabbed a shirt and a pair of jeans before he snuck out of his room. "I'm here. I'm coming down shortly." Cas ran across the hall to the bathroom and threw cold water in his face so his dad wouldn't see that he just woke up, and then he hurried to put on the clothes.

"Michael isn't home yet?" The pastor was in the kitchen when Castiel came down the stairs. "No, I guess not." He actually had no idea, but his brother normally turned the radio on as soon as he came inside, so he was probably not there.

"Do you want something to eat now, or should we wait for Rachel?" Castiel's dad was looking into the fridge before he turned around. Cas was hungry, but he wanted to leave this very second. He didn't know what to say to be able to get away, but he gave it a shot. "I'm not hungry. I have plans, so if you don't mind, I'm leaving soon."

He sincerely hoped that Dean had something to eat, but if not, Cas was ready to starve himself to get out. "I promised to help them today too, but they asked me to come after supper because they can't really cook food in that place yet." He wasn't even sorry for lying. He just needed an excuse to leave as soon as possible.

"You won't stay out all night?" His dad looked at him curiously. "Not that is a big problem, but you live here, and I'm not sure I like your nightly adventures."

Castiel rolled his eyes. "Dad, don't worry. They live like ten minutes walk from here. You can check it out yourself." He wasn't sure if it was the best idea he'd had in the world, but he continued. "Walk with me. See for yourself. They are decent people."

He didn't expect his dad to actually do it. Cas just wanted him to believe that he could, but the pastor nodded vigorously before he went to the hall to put his shoes on. "Why not. It'll be a nice walk."

The dusk was creeping in, and in a neighborhood with a lot of trees, it was quite dark on the streets. Castiel was reminded about his previous stalking attempt, but this time he could walk with his head held high. He was expected, and presumably very welcome in the house.

That his dad was walking along side him, was a minor concern. It could actually be good. He wanted his family to meet Dean, although he had no intentions of revealing the truth about their relationship.


	46. and out is a way

Dean didn't expect Mr Novak to come around, but it goes well. John is bored out of his mind, and tries to plan a party. Jo has organized a job for Sam. At the moment he is worried about his brother, and what their dad will think about the odd group of friends Dean has. Castiel doesn't help the matter much. Ianto and Jack spend their first night together in the same bed, and things happen. Dean is looking forward to spend more time with Cas, and is ready to come out to his friends.

* * *

**Music in this chapter**

**Child in time - Deep Purple - M/L: Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Lord, Paice**

**It's the hard knock life - Annie, the nusical - M: C. Strouse, L: M. Charnin**

* * *

"_Sweet child in time_

_You'll see the line_

_The line that's drawn between_

_Good and bad_

_See the blind man_

_Shooting at the world_

_Bullets flying _

_Ohh taking toll."_

Dean finally got a break from the work, and was sitting on the porch with his guitar and an ice cold beer. He actually agreed with his father that they should hurry up to get as much as possible done during the next couple of days. His dad would leave on Thursday, and Dean would be working at the garage the whole weekend, so they didn't have much time.

His father didn't know how long he'd be away, and even if Dean was capable of doing some work on his own, it was better to get the brunt of it over with now. The carpenter and the plumber had finished up. Daddy had paid them cash, which told Dean that this was an 'under the table' deal. He didn't really care. They were quick, and except for a couple short coffee and smoke breaks and a hurried meal, they didn't stop until everything was finished.

Sam and Dean had made a last trip to their old apartment to get the rest of their stuff, and the only thing they had to do before handing over the keys was to clean the place. Sam had reluctantly promised to do it during the weekend, so that they wouldn't have to pay rent for another week.

"_If you've been bad_

_Oh Lord I bet you have_

_And you've not been hit_

_Oh by flying lead_

_You'd better close your eyes_

_Ooohhhh bow your head…"_

He suddenly stopped singing when he noticed that someone was approaching the house. Dean recognized them immediately, and could not understand why Castiel brought his father. He pushed the beer bottle a bit away so the pastor wouldn't immediately understand that he'd been drinking before he tentatively got up to greet them.

Cas looked at Dean as he shrugged and rolled his eyes clandestinely. "This is my friend Dean. Are Sam and your dad here also?" He turned to his dad. "You have met him before, right?"

The pastor nodded. "Briefly. Welcome to the neighborhood." He smiled as he ascended the couple of steps the porch. "You have a nice voice, and I like your choice of music." He shook Dean's hand with a firm grip. "Not that I've listened to a lot of that lately. The kids rule the music selection in the house." He chuckled.

Dean could feel that he was blushing a little. Getting complimented from this man felt weird. "Erm, thanks. My father is inside, I'll go and get him." He was still not sure why Castiel's dad was there, but he seemed friendly enough.

John Winchester's hands were black with soot. "Sorry, I'm trying to fix the fireplace. I'm sure there's at least a couple of dead birds or other animals in there." He was trying to wipe his hands on a piece of cloth, but it was completely futile.

"Don't worry about it. My son wanted me to meet you. We live a few blocks away, and I understand that our boys are great friends." The pastor took a few steps back and looked at the house. "It's sad how they let it deteriorate. I met with the family when the old lady passed away.

Dean father nodded. "Yeah. They could have gotten a much better price if they had sold it when she had that stroke, but it was good for us that they procrastinated." He suddenly looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry. Do you know them? I didn't mean to be disrespectful."

The pastor shook his head. "No, don't worry about it. I didn't know them. They came to Christmas mass, and I _am_ their pastor, but I've really only talked to them when we planned her funeral." Dean could see that his dad looked a little surprised. He had obviously not expected a man of the clergy coming to the door. Knowing what his dad thought about religion and all that, Dean wondered if he would comment on it.

"I think maybe we won't be regulars either. Sorry, but it's not quite our thing." He threw his hands out and sported a lopsided smile.

Castiel's dad shook his head and smiled back. "That's okay, but if you ever change your mind, I'll be there." He let out a little chuckle. "Well. My son said he wanted to help you guys, but I have to go now. I guess I'll see you around, even if not in church."

John was about to shake the pastor's hand, but then he suddenly seemed to remember that his hands were still covered in gunk from the fireplace. "Oops. Sorry. Yeah, see you. It is nice to meet new neighbors."

The pastor started to walk away, but then he turned and looked at Dean before he addressed John again. "Your son has a nice voice, we could use him in the choir. Just a thought." He paused for a moment. "And if you need any help with…" He waved towards the house. "It could need new paint, and we have a few capable young men in the congregation that would want to earn a few bucks over the summer."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Bored out of his mind, John Hart was pacing the living room floor. When he came back home in the early morning hours, everybody was asleep, and they hadn't even noticed that he'd been gone all night.

He had to stay awake for a family breakfast, and he managed to pretend that he wasn't half asleep, but as soon as the overnight guests had left, he withdrew to his room. His mother didn't disturb him, and when he woke up seven hours later, he was alone in the house.

After playing a few games on the Wii U, and grabbing some leftovers from yesterday, he started to get a little antsy. Having time off wasn't as fun as he'd expected it to be. Back in the days, he had a lot of friends in the neighborhood that he hung out with. When he realized how shallow they were, he'd abandoned them and gone with his heart. He joined New Directions, and had made friendships that he knew would last, but at this hour he didn't have anybody.

Gwen was in Britain. Ianto and Jack was at Jack's house. He didn't feel that he could go back to Dean's place just yet, and calling Unique or Jane wasn't an option at the moment. The rest of the guys in the choir were his friends as well, but he hadn't spent enough time with them to feel comfortable begging for their company.

Most of them had summer jobs, and wouldn't be available at any time anyway. John didn't need to get a job. He had more money than he could possibly spend, but his new friends came from a totally different place.

He decided to plan a party. A reunion party. Gwen wouldn't be able to be there, but they could have her on Skype. If he could get everybody together for a singalong sometime during the summer, it could be great. The aforementioned pool-party never became a reality, so that was also an option.

It would also make a good reason for calling the guys in the choir, and maybe one or two of them were just as bored as him, and would want to come over right now.

With a plan forming in his head, he decided to make a few calls. He started with the ones he didn't know that much, just to get it over with.

Mason was thrilled about the idea, and promised to available except for one week in July. After a brief conversation with his sister, he could confirm that she wanted to do this as well. Kevin was at work and couldn't spend time on the phone, but when he heard what it was all about, he promised to call back.

After calling about half the choir, John had gotten confirmations from five people. None of them seemed desperate for something to do tonight though, and he wasn't going to beg.

He decided to postpone calling Ianto and Jack. He knew where they were, and even if he didn't quite condone it, he wanted to let them be for now. Jack would possibly not be able to come anyway, and Ianto would surely need a shoulder to cry on in a few days.

The only ones left were the Winchesters. John easily included both Castiel and Jo into that, and was pretty sure that one phone call was enough to invite all four of them. He could also subtly imply that he was available if they needed another couple of hands at the house. He hadn't shown much craftmanship last night, and he wasn't sure he wanted to do anymore cleaning, but at least he wouldn't be bored to death.

Dean's phone rang out without any response. It was a bummer, but not totally discouraging. Jo was at home, and couldn't answer for anyone but herself, and she was keen although she was pretty sure that her parents wouldn't let her. "I don't have Gwen as an excuse anymore, and they are going to know that I want to be with Sam."

John didn't want to hear it. He was adamant about gathering as many as possible, and figured it had to be a way. "Tell them that you're with Charlie or one of the other girls." It couldn't be that hard to come up with a plausible lie. "My mom will probably be home anyway, so there will be adults present." Jo wasn't a giver upper, and promised to do her best. "You don't even know when it's going to happen, so it's not easy to plan ahead."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When Jo's parents learned that the Winchesters were kind of between homes at the moment, they had offered them a room. It wasn't without serious pleading from their daughter, but without many guests this early in the summer, the four small cabins stood mostly empty for the time being.

Jo had always looked forward to work at their little B&amp;B during her summer vacation. From she was just a small girl, she'd helped her parents, and she loved meeting all the strangers that came through. Some came back every year, and weren't strangers anymore, but that was almost like seeing long gone relatives.

It wasn't a luxury establishment they were running. Their house was small and had only one spare room, so during the winter they didn't take in guests for the most part. The cabins weren't winter insulated and didn't have running water, so walking across the yard to take a leak in freezing temperatures wasn't very desirable.

The previous owners had a riding school, but without any interest in keeping large animals, Jo's parents had renovated the old stables. The building now had two small bathrooms, a dining room and a kitchenette where the guests could make their own food if they wanted.

From she was old enough to carry a tray, it had been Jo's task to bring her mother's homemade breakfast to those guests who weren't interested in cooking their own.

Her friends always loved to come over, and in the afternoon when the work was done, they played ball in the old paddock behind the main house. Over time, new houses had popped up around the property, and the area wasn't as rural anymore, but it was still a quiet part of Lima.

They didn't have much of a staff. Jo's parents had always done most of the maintenance themselves. That also included laundry service and cleaning. One of Jo's older cousins had managed the booking, and during the busiest weeks, they hired a cleaning lady.

A few things had changed over the last couple of months. Jo's cousin had got a steady job, and couldn't spend the summer with them anymore. Her dad had had a minor injury and fractured his wrist, and was unable to do any heavy lifting for another few weeks.

When Jo's suggested that they hired Sam to pick up the slack, they hadn't been too thrilled. They liked him, but wasn't sure that the lanky nerd could possibly manage the work entailed. Jo threatened to find a job somewhere else, and even if that wasn't likely to happen, they caved in and decided to try it out and pay Sam hourly for actual work done.

Jo kind of knew that she would get her way. Even if her parents kept her on a leash and worried about her getting into bad company, they usually gave her what she wanted as long as it didn't involve her straying around with people they didn't know.

After telling her parents about the house Sam and his family had bought - she hadn't seen it yet, but from what Sam had told her, it was bad, and to her parents she may have exaggerated a bit - they had reluctantly offered the Winchesters a place to crash during the renovation.

After a few long phone conversations with Sam earlier in the week, Jo knew for sure that Dean wouldn't be interested. She was fine with that. Dean was nice enough, but she didn't do this for him. She didn't really know if Sam wanted to stay there either, but she was going to do her best to persuade him.

Sam had also finally revealed what was going on between Dean and Castiel. "I don't think they know that I know, so don't say anything." He also revealed that he wasn't too comfortable with the situation, but he was trying his best.

Jo, on the other hand was thrilled. It was kind of embarrassing to remember back to when she joined Glee-club. She was behaving very homophobic, and had uttered few words that she now wished she could have taken back.

She was pretty sure she was forgiven for it, but she it was still bothering her somewhat.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Without internet, and no prospects of getting it installed any time soon, Sam was getting a little antsy. Dean and his father was unable to understand how important this was for him, and he was tired of nagging.

He knew that if he could get a chance to explain it to Dean in private, his brother would come around. Dean was paying the phone bills with his hard earned money already, and would be able to understand that having Wifi installed would knock down the monthly payments significantly. As it was now, Sam used his phone to go online, and he had already spent the prepaid surfing for this month several days ago.

At the moment he had another - and in his own opinion - more prosaic concern. Not as much for himself, but with Cas at the house, he worried what kind of conclusions his father would draw when Dean and Cas interacted. Sam had not really noticed Castiels' somewhat gayish mannerisms during the school year, but now it was impossible to ignore. Not that Cas had changed in any way; it was Sam himself that had changed his own view and perception.

It wasn't very obvious, but his father had sort of picked up on it earlier, so his worries weren't completely unfounded. He did feel the need to protect Dean and do his best to make sure that their father wouldn't find out that there were more to this than immediately met the eye.

Sam had a hard time coping with this himself, and he could only imagine the drama that would ensue if John Winchester realized that his oldest son was not who he appeared to be.

Dean had never said anything or done anything to explain himself to Sam. On the contrary; he had made an effort to try to hide his secret, but Sam wasn't born yesterday. So maybe Dean managed to fool everybody else around, but Sam knew perfectly well the nature of Dean and Castiel's relationship.

For months he had suspected, or rather known, that Dean had a crush on the guy, and in the beginning Sam found it quite humorous but also - something he was ashamed of now - a little repulsing. Keeping an eye on Castiel, he had later discovered that the attraction was mutual. He wasn't quite sure, but he suspected that he knew this before Dean picked it up.

Over time he had learned to accept it somewhat, but he didn't think it was a good idea for Dean to come out of the closet just yet. Sam knew that that part of it had a lot to do with his own insecurities. He was so not ready to for any revelation, and especially not with their dad in the house.

Sam really liked Castiel. He was friendly with everybody, and he was smarter than most. It wouldn't be a surprise if he became valedictorian when he graduated next year, although the title wouldn't necessarily go to the student with the highest academic credentials.

That Dean had changed to the better after Cas came into his life, was also a good thing. It didn't make much difference for Sam personally, but his brother had been kind of a dick at school before they came to McKinley. The whole Glee club had to get some credit for Dean's change, but Castiel was a crucial part of the picture.

It was probably time to get downstairs again. Sam couldn't possibly explain his absence any longer. When his dad finally managed to clean the chimney, the living room needed a good scrub. There was ash everywhere. Sam had hurriedly withdrawn, easily volunteering to carry all the stuff they'd picked up from the old apartment out of the truck.

It wasn't that much. Two big bags of clothes and linens, a small dresser, posters, and also Dean's record collection along with the turntable and the rest of the stereo system. The rest was just stupid knick-knacks. They didn't own that much. Living in motels and in small furnished apartments through the years, they hadn't accumulated a lot of stuff.

Except for his computer and his clothes, Sam didn't really own anything. As he procrastinated joining the others, he had sifted through Dean's 'secret' box, and he was amazed about all the little trinkets his brother had kept through the years. Dean was obviously more sentimental than Sam had given him credit for.

As he descended the stairs, Sam chuckled to himself. Dean hadn't changed into this guy he was now. He had always been that guy. He had just been better at hiding it in the past.

He was about to enter the living room when his phone rang. He was sure it would be Jo, and got surprised when John's name came up.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Castiel had not been thinking it through when he decided to go over to the Winchester house. That his dad came along was a minor issue, but after that he had to be in the same room as Dean's father for the longest time.

In his mind, he had imagined that he and Dean could kind of play house. They could do a little bit of work, and then snuggle together on that crappy old couch.

He hadn't expected that Dean's dad would be there for very long, but he was so wrong. He was pretty sure that Sam wouldn't be any bother, and he was right about that. Dean's brother had taken off as soon as there was real work in sight.

"_It's a hard knock life for us_

_It's a hard knock life for us." _

Cas couldn't help himself. He sang quietly into the floorboards as he did his best to remove the black stains. His pants were ruined. It was a bad idea to try to dress up for the meeting with Dean, because as soon as he came inside and offered to lend a hand, he was asked to help clean up after Mr Winchester's chimney sweep.

"_Got no folks to speak of, so,_

_It's the hard-knock row we how_

_Cotton blanket_

_'steada wool_

_Empty Bellies_

_'Steada full!"_

At the moment, Dean was in the kitchen to change the water. Mr Winchester had been away for a few moments, possibly to clean the soot off his face, but suddenly he was back, bending down to help out.

"Are you singing? What are you singing?" The guy looked over curiously, but turned back to the task at hand quickly. Castiel wasn't sure if the man wanted to know, or if he was just trying to be friendly.

He didn't really care. This was slave-labor, and Cas was happy that the guy chipped in since it was really his fault in the first place.

Lowering his voice even more, Castiel continued singing. Dean's father wouldn't know the song anyway.

"_No one's there when your dreams at night are creepy!_

_No one cares if you grow or if you shrink!_

_No one dries when your eyes get wet and weepy."_

Dean came back with a bucket of clean fresh steaming water, and handed Cas a clean cloth. "Did you sing?" He looked strangely disturbed and threw a quick peek at his dad. Castiel chuckled. "Yes I did. I couldn't help myself. This is…" He exhaled audibly to make the point before he sang out loud.

"_It's the hard-knock life for us_

_It's the hard-knock life for us_

_No one cares for you a smidge_

_When you're in an orphanage_

_It's The Hard Knock Life!_

_It's the Hard Knock Life!"_

He suddenly got aware that both Dean and his dad was staring at him. Dean looked terrified, and his dad only looked slightly less disturbed as he nodded to himself. "Thought that was something your friend Jack was more into."

Castiel didn't understand the reference at first, but then it dawned on him. Dean's father obviously knew that Jack was queer, and now he kind of guessed that Cas was as well. 'Shit happens.' He thought to himself. It wasn't the end of the world. The guy had met them all last night - including John - and had to have had some suspicions.

That Dean seemed less than pleased about the whole thing, was unfortunate. Castiel didn't want to out the guy in front of his dad; he had sort of promised not to do anything to alert Mr Winchester about the nature of their relationship, and now he had gone ahead and messed it up a little bit.

"Uh. Sorry Mr Winchester, I will assume that Jack could have found this quite humorous, but it's a shitty job you put me to do, and if I can't sing as I work, it's not gonna get done." Cas felt the blush creep up to his face, so he looked down at the floor again as he composed himself. It was probably quite rude to address an elder like that, but he had to show that he was man enough to be direct about this.

He could hear Mr Winchester chuckle a little and dared to lift his head. "You're right. It's a shitty job. I made a mess didn't I? Get up boy. I'll do the rest myself." The guy waved Dean over with the bucket. "Gimme. Get up. Have a beer." He paused for a second. "Only one. You hear me Dean?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When Ianto woke up in the middle of the night, he was for a few seconds not aware of where he was. It was completely dark in the room, and the only thing he could hear was a faint sound of traffic from far away.

Jack's arm was still wrapped around his waist, and he could feel the guy's breath on his neck. As he lied there he realized that the two of them had moved even closer together during the night, and the warmth from Jack's body made the back of his t-shirt kind of sticky with sweat.

Taking it off was not an option at the moment; it was a little uncomfortable, but he didn't want to risk waking Jack. He kept quiet and was pretty sure he hadn't moved or done anything else to alert Jack that he was awake, but somehow Jack must woke up and realized.

"Aren't you a little overdressed for hot summer night?" The whisper was almost inaudible. "I want to feel your skin against mine." Jack's hand slipped under Ianto's t-shirt and wandered up towards his chest. When Jack's lips briefly touched the nape of his neck, Ianto felt his cock harden in an instant.

Jack pulled away a little and moved his hand downwards. When it reached the waistline of Ianto's boxers it stopped for a moment, but it didn't take long before Ianto could feel a couple of Jack's fingers on his erection. "Shouldn't we get rid of all that fabric?" Jack nibbled on Ianto's shoulder as he gently slipped his hand inside the underwear.

Ianto didn't know what to do. He wanted this so much, but he was scared. A little clumsily, he managed to pull the t-shirt over his head, trying his best to ignore the sensation in his lower regions. Jack had moved his hand again, and pushed the back of Ianto's boxers down as far as he could before he did the same in the front.

When Jack wrapped his arm around Ianto's waist again and scooted closer, it became very apparent that Jack was completely naked. Ianto could feel the guy's cock against his buttcrack, and got seriously frightened about what was going to happen next.

Jack must have noticed that he tensed up a bit. "Relax, I'm not going to fuck you. Not now anyway."

Ianto wasn't quite sure if the words were meant to comfort him. He didn't feel especially comforted. On the other hand, he felt perfect being the little spoon, even if he had never expected that to be the case..

After a few moments of awkward silence, as Jack rubbed against him, Ianto realized that he wasn't as scared about this as he thought he would be. He wanted more, but wasn't sure exactly what kind of 'more' he was ready for. He had no idea how to relay that to Jack, so he just decided to keep quiet and enjoy the sensation.

"Turn over." Jack's whisper was barely audible. Ianto hesitated for a split second before he slowly rolled over to face the guy. Jack's lips were on his before he got a chance to prepare for it, and when their cocks touched, Ianto could barely breathe.

With their lips still not completely separated, Jack uttered a few word that changed the whole scenario. "You can fuck me."

Ianto's cock twitched and threatened to release its load right there and then. He knew it would be impossible to go through with anything like it right now. Just the mere thought was almost too much to handle. That he had fantasized about that for months already, didn't make it any easier. "Okay. maybe not tonight." Jack reached down and wrapped his hand around both cocks, and then he started to jerk them off gently. It took about six seconds for Ianto to cum.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was going to be an awesome summer. His father would be gone for the most part, the 'job' he was attending seemed a little bit like a scam, but he would obviously make tons of money from it. Dean didn't care.

Sam was spending more time at Jo's house than at home, and even if he helped out somewhat, and slept in his own room most nights, he wouldn't be a bother. He had been offered to stay at Jo's place until the house was more inhabitable, and some nights he did, but he and Jo were not allowed to spend the night together regardless, so when there weren't any work for him at the B&amp;B he came home.

When Dean also learned that Pastor Novak would be away a lot, there weren't any good reasons for Castiel to not come over anytime he wanted.

Dean had to work at the garage most days, but he was normally off before five. Castiel had a summer job as well, although the pay for it was a laughing matter. The church had set up a temporary day care for kids from low income families and their parents paid as much as they could afford. Even if Castiel and the other volunteers got to share most of the proceeds, it didn't add up to much at the end of the day.

Cas didn't worry about the pay. It was a little extra pocket money, and he didn't need much. He seemed to enjoy interacting with the kids, and had a few plans on how to make this into more than just fun and games.

Castiel's father made good on the promise to provide help. He let them borrow the church's van when Sam and Dean had to get around to pick up the second hand furniture they had scrambled together. He also sent over a couple of teenagers who were eager to make a few bucks painting the house. Dean, Sam, and Castiel did most of it, but it was good with the extra pairs of hands.

They had a TV now, and John had let them borrow an old xbox; the guy had more game consoles than he could use in one sitting anyway. John had come over a couple of times to lend a hand, but that normally ended up with not much done. He always brought booze, and after a half hour of mediocre carpentry or painting, he was ready to party instead.

Waking up in the early afternoon that Sunday with a little bit of a hangover, Dean actually felt good about everything going on. There was however one chip in this perfect picture, and it had nothing to do with him feeling a little under the weather at the moment.

School had been out for two weeks and everything seemed to go well in every way possible, but so far, and in spite of the fact that his father and his brother stayed away for the most part, he had barely been alone with Castiel since that first night in the house. They had had a few stolen moments, but the couple of times Cas was able to stay late, John or Sam or Ianto or somebody else had been there as well.

Not that it was such a big deal; Dean felt that they were solid, but Cas was still a little reluctant to reveal that they were together. It was odd really; everybody they knew had for a long time suspected that Cas was gay, and he had admitted to Dean that he himself had always known. Dean, on the other hand, had denied to himself that he was attracted to guys, and done his best to conceal it.

It wasn't like he was ready to dive out of the closet just yet, but with their friends it was different. Dean wanted them to know so that he could cuddle up with Castiel while they played video games for instance. The fact that John and Sam, and pretty much everybody else had their suspicions anyway, made it even more silly. He could see their looks and he was pretty sure Castiel noticed as well.

Dean was not going to let this tiny problem ruin his mood. They had time, it was just a small bump, and it would eventually be solved, even if he had to pull some strings to make it happen.


End file.
